


Night And Day

by GhostlyGoddess2010



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Yakuza, Assassination, Fugaku Is Awful, Hinata Is OOC In A Good Way, M/M, Oblivious Naruto, mentions of human trafficking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-08
Updated: 2017-11-06
Packaged: 2018-11-08 00:30:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 33,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11070282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostlyGoddess2010/pseuds/GhostlyGoddess2010
Summary: On Sasuke's 20th birthday, he was promised the family business.  He had no idea what he was getting himself into.





	1. Sasuke's Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer:  
> I do not own Naruto or anything Naruto-related, that's all Kishimoto Masashi.
> 
> Another Disclaimer:  
> I did my research on the yakuza, that does not make me an expert and under no circumstance should you take anything I write as a solid fact in the yakuza world. I blended fact and fiction together, so I wouldn’t suggest looking into to it too much, but if you really want to know how much of it is accurate, a quick search should be able to help you there. Just enjoy the story and don’t think too much about the real world, after all, it exists to pull you away from all that.
> 
> A Little Of What To Expect From This Story:  
> It's darker than my other stories have been, but also more within my element. M/M smut, death, and general immorality will be present as this is a yakuza story. Again, I am not a yakuza expert, I just find it interesting, so don’t take anything I put in this too seriously. 
> 
> This is going to be a bit of a slow burn (sorry), but there’s a way this story develops and it cannot be rushed, or it will come across as such.

It was a dreary day in Tokyo, gray and raining, but calm and quiet nonetheless.  Uchiha Sasuke waited for his father, letting his raven, chin-length bangs fall into his face as his coal-black eyes looked at the ground, his pale complexion matching his mood.  His charcoal suit was in pristine condition, quite becoming of an Uchiha.  Today was Sasuke’s birthday, and if he was being completely honest, he wasn’t the least bit excited.

His father was hiding something and had been for quite some time.  Sasuke was no idiot, he could read people like a book, much like any Uchiha.  Sasuke was particularly adept in his perceptions though, even Uchiha Fugaku was not safe from his judgement.

Judge his father he did.  Ever since his business had taken off and they’d moved out to Tokyo, his father spent most of his time in Otogakure, away from the family.  He only came home on weekends and special occasions.  That was Sasuke’s first clue that something wasn’t right, but he refused to acknowledge it, considering himself lucky to be away from his father’s strict nature so often.

It would have made more sense if his father’s business was headquartered in Otogakure, but it wasn’t; it was headquartered in Tokyo.  That was the entire reason the head of the Uchiha family had left his responsibilities in Konoha.  Fugaku moved himself, his wife, and his son to Tokyo on the grounds that they were moving closer to the office.  It wasn’t long before Fugaku had seemingly abandoned all his family duties as he spent more and more time in Otogakure.  Sometimes Sasuke thought back to the family that was left behind in Konoha, wondering how the now headless clan was faring.

 _Headless_ wasn’t a very accurate description of his family, though.  All things considered, Fugaku was still the head of the family, he just refused to acknowledge his obligations.  Sasuke already knew who the burden now fell upon though, so he refused to speak of the situation to his father.

He hadn’t heard from his brother in years either, and he knew his father had something to do with that.  Sasuke had envied Itachi perpetually while he was growing up, but upon his disappearance right before the move, he realized that he actually missed his older brother.  Honestly, Itachi was like a hero to him; the untouchable man who could do literally anything.  Itachi loved Sasuke too; that much was apparent.  To this very day, Sasuke would receive a birthday card in the mail, as he had today.  Although the card never came with a return address on it, or any writing whatsoever, he still knew.  There was something amazing about the way that Itachi could be so subtle, but get the intended message across.  To this day, Sasuke looked up to his brother, even after the five-year separation.

At first he had been terrified that Itachi was dead, that his brother wasn't as invincible as he had originally thought. Sasuke found himself relieved about a month and a half later when his first anonymous birthday card arrived.  He just knew, as did his mother.

Sasuke had never spoken a word to his mother about what may or may not have happened with Itachi, seeing as it was practically against the Uchiha code of conduct.  When he received that first card though, her eyes held a spark.  She knew that it was him too, and Sasuke knew that she missed her son.

Sasuke was beginning to get impatient.  He had been waiting for his father for over half an hour and he wasn’t a patient person to begin with.  Sasuke was officially coming into adulthood and Fugaku wanted to formally integrate Sasuke into the family business.

Although the age of adulthood in Japan had recently changed to eighteen, the Uchiha family held fast to the tradition of recognizing the age of twenty as the age of manhood. Sasuke didn’t really care about any of it, but he wanted to make his father proud.  His entire life had been spent in Itachi’s shadow as his father showered his eldest with praise.  After Itachi had vanished, though, Sasuke finally had a chance.  His father would finally recognize him.

 

☉☾

 

“Have you said farewell to your mother?” his father asked him coldly, his gray suit perfectly pressed and corresponding with the weather and Sasuke’s mood.  It took every ounce of Sasuke’s willpower not to sneer in the man’s face.

He looked toward his mother, whose obsidian eyes were filled with sorrow and seemed only to embody death.  This was unusual for his mother, although they were always forced to act differently when his father was around.  Even her jet-black hair that came to the middle of her back was completely out of her face, one of Fugaku’s expectations and a symbol of formality.  Still, Sasuke took this for the warning it was, and put his guard up immediately.  He was still in his father’s presence though, so he had to appease him as well.

He bowed his head slightly toward her out of respect, the way his father would want him to.  “Mother,” was all he said.  When he met her eyes again, she was...crying?  Well, almost.  Uchiha Mikoto’s eyes held restrained tears and Sasuke could _feel_ her biting her tongue to not speak out of turn.  

He narrowed his eyes, glancing at his father out of the corner of them.  Something was wrong here, and he was going to figure it out by the end of the day.

 

☉☾

 

Naruto entered the foyer of Jiraiya’s estate, shaking his spiky blond hair as he tried to remove the rain from it.  His dark blue jeans had managed to avoid most of the water and the droplets rolled off of his bright orange hoodie onto the floor.  When tan lids parted as he opened his sapphire eyes, he was face-to-face with his guardian, who shook his head in disapproval to mask his amusement.

“Dammit Naruto, you’re not a fucking dog,” the white-haired man barked, barely hiding a laugh as his jet-black eyes shone with amusement and his red, vertical line, face tattoos crinkled as he smiled.

“Yeah, I know; I’m better, pervert,” he countered with a chuckle as he removed his shoes and proceeded further into the house, brushing up against the fabric of the black hoodie that the man was wearing.  For someone in his fifties, he had the fashion sense of a 15-year-old.  Naruto always found it somewhat amusing though, like having a dad who was practically the same age as him.

Namikaze Naruto was an orphan who was taken in by Jiraiya after his parents’ death.  More interesting was the fact that Jiraiya had taken in Naruto’s father, Minato, as a young orphan as well.  To top it all off, he was also his godfather.  Instead of bothering trying to come up with some sort of name for his combination guardian, adoptive grandfather, and godfather, he stuck with “pervert.”  Jiraiya always gave him a hard time about it, but Naruto found it quite fitting, so it stuck.

“Didn’t I tell you not to call me that, brat?”  Jiraiya reached out and ruffled his hand through the blond spikes playfully.  The nickname honestly didn’t even bother him anymore, not really.  He found it fairly amusing and more than a little accurate.  Besides, he understood Naruto’s dilemma, so he accepted it internally.  That didn’t stop him from messing with the young man, though.  That would _never_ get old.

“Yeah, and you also told me to eat my vegetables, but I didn’t do that either,” Naruto grinned, sticking out his tongue as he walked toward the main room.  His guardian might have been a pervert, but he couldn’t deny that the crazy-haired old man was very important to him.

Jiraiya just sighed and shook his head again, but followed Naruto into the main room where he greeted everyone.

Jiraiya's estate was massive and something like an orphanage.  Besides Naruto, it housed 7 others around the same age, none of them with a family to return home to.  Each individual had their own room and a private bathroom.  The estate also included a library, industrial-sized kitchen, laundry room, dojo, Jiraiya’s office, and the main room that everyone currently resided in.

After caring for Minato until he had become an adult, Jiraiya had wanted to do everything in his power to help other children in need.  So, he took to housing them and providing them with food and company.  Although he never had children of his own, he considered himself the father of many, and likewise, they considered him their only family.

The main room was massive, more than large enough to accommodate 10 people, with a sunken floor in the middle of the room that housed a square-shaped mahogany sectional that could easily seat 15 people alone.  The group primarily focused on enjoying each other’s company, seeing as how this was the only family they knew.

Naruto ungracefully plopped himself next to Inuzuka Kiba, or Jiraiya’s perv-in-training as he liked to call him.  The brunet had short hair and red triangular tattoos that ran down either cheek that almost could have mimicked Jiraiya’s.  Naruto sometimes wondered if they ever signified anything, but couldn’t bring himself to ask.  He dressed just as casually as Jiraiya, wearing a black, zip-up jacket with a white t-shirt underneath and navy blue jeans that rested loosely on his hips.  “Hey Naruto, what’s good?” he greeted with a fist bump.

“I’m just glad to be home,” Naruto laughed to himself, “it’s so depressing out there!”

“Yeah, I hear you.  It’s supposed to rain all day, too.”

On Naruto’s right sat TenTen, whose brown hair was constantly worn in two buns on either side of her head.  If Naruto were like his guardian, he would appreciate the fact that she was wearing black booty shorts and a pink tank-top, but he never really paid attention to that kind of stuff.  He had almost entirely tuned out perversions, a side effect of growing up around Jiraiya.

“Hey, Naruto,” she grit out, sharpening her spear.  TenTen specialized in weaponry and had a collection that could put Jiraiya’s porn stash to shame.  Jiraiya quickly came up behind her and yanked the spear out of her hands.

“No weaponry outside the dojo, TenTen, we’ve been over this.”

She grumbled in response, watching as he disappeared to return it to it’s home.

On the other side of Kiba sat Hyūga Hinata, whose unyielding attitude was complemented perfectly by black leather pants and a tight-fitting black tank top.  Her sense of style seemed to embody that of an assassin, and Naruto found it interesting.  He couldn’t fathom why anyone would want to constantly look like a fashion icon for premeditated murder, but he didn’t judge; he was simply curious.  Her long, black hair cascaded over her shoulders and her lilac eyes seems to stare deep into his soul.

“Naruto,” she bowed her head slightly; respectful, but confident.  Naruto was unaware of Hinata’s past, but she was one of the strongest women he’d ever known.  The media always portrayed women as being weak, shy, and scared, but Hinata was none of those things and Naruto respected her for it.  It took a very strong person to not give in to social norms.

Next to TenTen, Yamanaka Ino had begun chatting up a storm in her ear.  Ino’s long, bright, blonde hair and light green eyes had always attracted people to her, but her beauty didn’t hold a candle next to her stunning personality.  Although she seemed to be a typical blonde, Ino was one of the nicest people that Naruto had ever known.  As if her looks alone had trouble reaching the male population, her sleeveless purple t-shirt, matching mini-skirt, and black leggings clung to her body as though they were on life support.  It was a look that not everyone could pull off, but it suited Ino.  She waved excited to Naruto, refusing to interrupt her conversation with TenTen as she greeted the man.

The other three members of the family, Temari, Kankurō, and Gaara, were all siblings.  The group had always referred to them as the “sand siblings,” because they were from Sunagakure, the city in the desert.  They were all polite, but very close to each other, sometimes seeming to exclude themselves entirely.  Naruto understood that they just weren’t very social, but sometimes they would surprise him and come out of their shell.  Today, however, they were in the corner furthest away from everyone, but that was normal.

Temari, the oldest, had her blonde hair tied back in 4 spiky ponytails.  Naruto wasn’t ever entirely sure how she did it, it seemed like a lot of effort.  Her teal eyes were both friendly and firm as they held secrets that she dare not speak.  Sporting a white t-shirt with a mesh shirt underneath and tan capris, she always looked like she was going to the desert.  Sometimes Naruto wondered if she ever visited her home.

Kankurō was practically the opposite of his older sister, wearing a black hoodie with black gi pants, which Naruto always found odd, but Kankurō somehow pulled it off.  His brown hair was perfectly complemented by the plum-colored lines that were tattooed on his face.  Much like with Kiba, Naruto wondered if these marks held any meaning, but he held his tongue.

The youngest, Gaara, was probably the least social, but Naruto knew that he didn’t harbor any ill feelings toward him.  His green eyes stood out fiercely against his red hair and his red trench coat covered most of his body, showing only his tan cargo pants underneath.  He had a tattoo of the kanji for love above his left eye, but Naruto had never asked about it; he had a feeling that it wasn't there because Gaara wanted it.  The three siblings looked up to Naruto to nod before turning back to their conversation.

Each member of the family except for Naruto had a tattoo of a purple toad on their right bicep.  Naruto recognized it as the mark of his family, never questioning why he’d yet to receive it.  He knew his time was coming, Jiraiya was probably just waiting until he was 20.  That was the traditional age of adulthood, after all.  That was probably the only tradition that the old perv followed, but follow it he did.

Naruto leaned back in his seat and relaxed for the moment.  Now that they were all together, it wouldn’t be long before they headed into the dojo to start their training for the day.  

Jiraiya specialized in several forms of martial arts, teaching the group not only how to defend themselves, but also how to keep their bodies healthy.  After their general routine together, they would work individually on what they needed or wanted to focus on.  Everyone else would practice some sort of specialized weapons training, but Naruto stuck to using Kendo with a bo staff.  He found weapons enticing, but Naruto never felt like he was in any sort of particular danger, nor did he foresee himself in such a position, so he figured there was no point.  Besides, sometimes he would use his bo staff and pretend to be Jiraiya as if he had a cane.  The others all loved it, but Naruto had found himself getting smacked on the head by his guardian quite often because of it.

He had only just gotten to close his eyes and start to relax before Jiraiya called into the room.  “Alright, everyone in the dojo!”

 

☉☾

 

The car ride from Tokyo to Otogakure was tense.  It was silent, which Sasuke didn’t mind at all, seeing as though he preferred to not speak with his father.  His father hadn’t so much as cast a glance in his direction, another thing that he didn’t necessarily mind.  Sasuke chose to occupy his time by watching the rain.

It wasn’t a particularly heavy rain, nor was it very exciting.  It was the type of rain that ruins your day and leaves you bored and miserable.  It was the type of rain that made you feel like the whole world was slipping away.  It was the type of rain that created a sense of unease.

Sasuke still had no idea what was awaiting him in Otogakure, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t pleasant.  His father had refused to say anything, leaving him completely in the dark.  Sasuke couldn’t help but remember that the last time Fugaku had taken one of his sons to Otogakure, he disappeared.

The weather was bleak and he saw it as a sign of things to come.  His father wouldn’t tell him what was going on and his mother had seemed heartbroken.  His intuition was on edge and his brain was adding pieces of the puzzle that seemed to fit together.  Sasuke wanted nothing more than his father’s recognition, the sure sign of a successful Uchiha, but he wasn’t sure he wanted _this_ , whatever _this_ was.

Fugaku pulled his black Lincoln Town Car to a stop in front of what was obviously an underground complex. They were so deep in the woods that no one would be able to find them, not even accidentally.  Yet here they were, outside a fully constructed building, complete with a parking lot.  The entryway was simple and consisted only of stairs that led below ground, the stonework that lined the sides of them decorated with...snakes?

Sasuke looked blankly at his father who refused to return his gaze.  For only a brief moment, he contemplated the chance that this might have been a sacrificial ritual.  He pushed the thought out of his head though, and thought instead of his brother, who was _alive._  If worst came to worst, Itachi had fled and Sasuke could too.

 

☉☾

 

Sasuke followed his father down the corridor until they came to a large room lit with candles and the walls decorated, again, with snakes.  In his mind, Sasuke likened the room to the throne room of a castle.  A large throne sat in the center of the back wall with the man who sat in it flanked by guards on either side.  Despite living in the 21st century, the owner seemed to appreciate the distant past.  It was so old-fashioned that Sasuke felt like he’d travelled back in time and was visiting some king in a feudal era kingdom; a modern feudal castle.  Even he and all his associates were wearing traditional kimonos.

Sasuke watched as his father knelt down on one knee and bowed his head in respect.  His father was _kneeling_?  Who the hell was this guy, anyway?  Sasuke followed his father’s lead, curious as to what would come next.

“Orochimaru-sama,” Fugaku began as he looked up at the man, “I present to you my son, Uchiha Sasuke.”

Sasuke glanced at his father before looking up at the man who sat on the throne.  The man had long black hair and green, snake-like eyes.  Judging by his almost gray complexion, Sasuke assumed that he never saw the light of day.

“Sasssuke,” the man hissed, clearly pleased with _something_.  “What a fine young boy you have there, Fugaku,” he complimented, sending a shiver down Sasuke’s spine that he struggled to suppress.

“A pleasure to meet you, Orochimaru-sama,” Sasuke greeted respectfully, his skin crawling at formalities that he despised using.

“Oh, no,” Orochimaru practically purred out, his voice low as though he was trying to seduce him, “the pleasure is all mine.”

Orochimaru took another minute to look at the boy, before he began his introduction.  “As you seem to already be aware, my name is Orochimaru.  I’m the head of the... _organization_ that your father has been working for to repay his... _debts_ ,” he explained cryptically.  Sasuke cast a sidelong glance at his father, but remained impassive.  “As an introduction to my organization and your father’s business, I’d like to ask you a favor,” he handed the man to his left, whose gray hair was pulled back in a ponytail, an envelope.  “A business rival has been stirring up some trouble for me recently, and I’d like you to try to deliver a message for me.  The details are in the envelope, wait until you’re alone to open it.”

Fugaku glanced at Sasuke expectantly, so Sasuke responded, “Yes, Orochimaru-sama.”

“Excellent,” he hissed out, a sadistic smile gracing his face.  “As a token of my gratitude, I’d like you to take this,” he added, snapping his fingers as the man on his right with long, straight, white hair presented Sasuke with a sheathed katana.

“Thank you, Orochimaru-sama,” he responded formally.

“Once you have completed your task, return to me at once so we can begin discussing your role in the business.”

“Yes Orochimaru-sama,” Sasuke agreed complacently.

“You are dismissed.”

The Uchiha men stood, offering Orochimaru one final bow as they departed.  The envelope burned in Sasuke’s hand.  He was unaware of the contents, but felt that they probably weren’t good.

 

☉☾

 

Once Sasuke and Fugaku had arrived at Fugaku’s Otogakure condo, which Sasuke didn’t even know he had, Sasuke quickly located a spare room in the back of the unit and shut and locked the door behind him.

Sasuke wasn’t stupid and he could read between the lines. He noticed Orochimaru’s choice of words and had connected the dots quite quickly.   _Organization?  Debts?_  Sasuke had a feeling that he knew _exactly_ what was going on.

He glared down at the envelope in his hand as he sat the katana on the bed.  Of course Orochimaru had expected him to agree to this _favor_ without him even knowing what it was.

Sitting down on the gray comforter, he clenched his fist, took a deep breath, and opened the letter.

 

☉☾

 

_Uchiha Sasuke,_

_As you are probably aware by now, I am the head of the Otogakure organization known as Oto no Kage.  As part of your father’s debts toward me, you are expected to provide your assistance in matters that concern my organization as well as your own business.  Since it would be quite foolish to place_ _my blind trust in a man I have only just met, allow me to present to you a test.  My rival organization, Tokyo no Kage, houses something very precious to its head of organization.  I would greatly appreciate it if you could find some way to dispose of this item.  This assignment will be considered your initiation into my organization, so I would like to wish you good luck and thank you in advance for your services.  Once you have completed this assignment, please report back to me immediately.  I look forward to working with you in the future._

 

_Sincerely,_

_Orochimaru_

 

_PS:  I sincerely hope that you enjoy the Mamba Katana.  I would advise you to exercise caution when using it, as it is laced with black mamba venom._

 

☉☾

 

Sasuke somehow felt himself stunned and not at all shocked at the same time. It was obvious that this _item_ was a person, hence the katana that was oh-so-conveniently gifted to him with the letter.

He couldn’t believe that his father had seemingly sold himself (and Sasuke) to the yakuza.  The yakuza was something you were supposed to try to _avoid_ , not seek out.  And this was supposed to be his initiation.  A formal ritual for Sasuke to pledge his allegiance to Orochimaru.

It was apparent that his father had used Orochimaru’s resources to boost his business, but Sasuke was still not entirely sure how.  Now it seemed that it fell on Sasuke’s- and probably Itachi’s- head to take care of their father’s debt.  And apparently that debt was worth someone else’s life, because Sasuke was _seriously_ being asked to commit murder.

He sat down on the bed and rested his face in his hands, wondering if _this_ is why Itachi had vanished.  He sighed in irritation, because he knew without a doubt, despite his moral debate, that he’d made his decision.  Sasuke wanted nothing more than to appease his father and now he knew how to do it.

 

☉☾

 

Sasuke watched the compound as each and every light slowly went off.  He would have to be stealthy about this, seeing as though yakuza factions were usually pretty tight on security.  As he sat outside, waiting for the proper time to become a murderer, his thoughts wandered to how he couldn’t believe the mess that his father had gotten him into.  Perhaps after his first assassination, he’d complete a second.  Then he’d have to flee the country, seeing as though there was no real escape from the yakuza.  He rolled his eyes, annoyed at the circumstances.

Two hours slowly ticked by as he waited, trying to be _absolutely_ sure that everyone was asleep.  He had done his research before travelling back to Tokyo.  He knew who Tokyo’s yakuza boss was and he vaguely knew who he was supposed to kill.  He hadn’t seen a name, or a picture- not that he was surprised, this was the _yakuza_ after all- but he’d found sources implying that someone in that house was related to the boss.  And of course, that person’s room was right next to his.  So Sasuke had figured out which room belonged to the boss, and staked out across the street, with a clear view of the room next to it, for several hours.

That’s right, he’d been in Tokyo for _hours_ and he hadn’t even stopped by to see his mother.  Although after tonight, he might not want to face her ever again.  He thought back to the expressions on her face that morning before he left with his father.  Of course, she probably knew, or at least she knew _something_.  He’d have to figure out what that was later, if he could ever face her again.

Once the two hours were up, he pulled on his ski mask and began to make his move.  He climbed his way to the ledge right outside of his victim’s room, staring at the window.  He soon realized that he had no way to get inside.  Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise.  Deciding to at least mentally plead his own case, Sasuke tried pushing up on the window as though it might be unlocked.  He knew even before trying that no one would be stupid enough to leave their window unlocked, but he was wrong.  To his surprise, it opened.

Sasuke groaned internally at the thought that his victim was _that_ stupid.  You’d think a yakuza member would be smart enough to lock their fucking windows.  Jesus Christ, this person was probably a major fucking target.  He took a moment to wonder even how this person was still alive with security precautions like _that_.

Bringing himself back to reality, Sasuke quietly entered the room and took a look around.  It didn’t appear that this person was planning on having anyone target them whatsoever.   _What a moron_.  Sasuke approached the bed and found his victim snoring as he drooled on (and cuddled with) a body pillow.  Sasuke smirked at the sight, amused by the thought of a member of the yakuza seeming so soft.  

Taking his last few breaths as a semi-decent human being, he lifted up his mask to take a better look at the sleeping thug.  Reaching his hand toward his back to grab his katana, he froze when he recognized the face of his victim.  “Naruto?!”

Blue eyes shot open and met black, moments before his execution.  

 

☉☾


	2. Ghosts Of The Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This isn't Naruto and Sasuke's first interaction, but how, exactly, do they know each other? Sasuke finds himself trying to make a tough decision as Naruto remains blissfully unaware of his true intentions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is finally here!!! You guys have no idea how crazy the waiting has made me, but here it is: the second chapter. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like things are going to get much better in terms of waiting (sorry guys), but I'll do *everything* I can to update as often as I can.
> 
> Thanks for waiting and I hope you guys enjoy the chapter! Don't forget to tell me what you think!

_Taking his last few breaths as a semi-decent human being, he lifted up his mask to take a better look at the sleeping thug.  He reached his hand toward his back to grab his katana, and froze when he recognized the face of his victim.  “Naruto?!”_

_Blue eyes shot open and met black, moments before his execution._

 

☉☾

 

_It was a bright, sunny day in Konoha.  Twelve-year-old Sasuke had yet to lose his brother or his home.  His father was around all the time and Sasuke was not entirely sure how he felt about that fact.  Whereas it was nice to have his family all together and in one piece, so to speak, his father had always ruled with an iron fist.  As if that weren't enough, there was nothing in the world that Sasuke could do to live up to his expectations.  Even excelling in school and his formal Kendo training, an Uchiha custom, could not match what his brother had achieved at his age.  Itachi was his favorite person in the world, but at times he also felt like his biggest obstacle._

_He sat in the room waiting for class to start, no one joining him at his table.  His navy t-shirt and white shorts represented how others perceived him- indifferent.  He preferred it that way, honestly.  He enjoyed staring out the window, even if it was way too bright outside.  He enjoyed being able to gather his thoughts alone, with nobody to interrupt him, and he found it easy to tune out all the background noise._

_Though he was disgruntled at the early hour, he found himself surprisingly content as he impatiently waited for the day to start and subsequently end.  He was at peace though, and that kept him from scowling at the others in the room.  That is, until a certain loud-mouthed blond sporting a bright-orange t-shirt and blue jeans decided to make a beeline straight for him.  He groaned internally, dreading the moment that his long-time rival reached his destination and ruined his peace.  Now he was absolutely ready for the day to end._

 

☉☾

 

_Naruto walked into the classroom, as bright as the sunny sky outside.  He was always in a generally good mood: he had a great life, great parents, and he even enjoyed school to an extent.  As he looked around the room, he noticed no less than 5 girls drooling over Sasuke, a sudden reminder of what exactly that extent was._

_He understood it, honestly.  Sasuke was perfect.  He had perfect grades, was surprisingly athletic, and no one could overlook his cool demeanor.  He even had a great family, and even though Naruto did as well, his family didn’t have the reputation that Sasuke’s did._ Everyone _in Konoha knew about the Uchiha family._

_Even though he was 5 years older than both Sasuke and Naruto, Naruto knew of Sasuke’s older brother, Itachi.  It was hard not to; everyone praised him constantly.  At school he was always hearing things about his teachers’ star student, Uchiha Itachi, or, upon noticing Sasuke’s name, they would comment on how they expected great things from Itachi’s younger brother.  It was enough to make Naruto sick, and maybe just a little jealous._

_Naruto was an only child, meaning he never understood what it meant to have a sibling.  He always thought that it must be amazing to not only be recognized as one of the great Uchiha, but also as the great Itachi’s younger brother.  Sasuke had a promising future ahead of him and Naruto hated it._

_Naruto wasn’t necessarily hopeless though.  His mother came from the powerful Uzumaki clan, though its members seemed to be scattered and not at all focused in any one area the way the Uchiha family was in Konoha.  Naruto hadn't even met an Uzumaki besides his mother, but she was incredibly strong, a trait he assumed stemmed from her lineage.  His father, Namikaze Minato had been adopted at a young age; none of his family even knew anyone with the name Namikaze._

_His grades might not have been quite on par with the Uchiha’s, but they were at least decent enough to keep their teacher off his back.  Or, at least, off his back if he wasn’t caught sleeping in class._

_What Naruto actually excelled at though, was athletics.  Naruto had more stamina than anyone he’d ever met, including Sasuke.  Sasuke was faster however, so there was never a clear projection as to who would win when it came to any sporting event other than running.  Sasuke could take the 1000-meter dash, but Naruto would win the mile._

_Naruto had enough.  Sasuke wasn’t as perfect as everyone thought, and he was going to figure the other boy out, come hell or high water.  He took a deep breath and made his way toward the table where the raven-haired boy sat alone, staring out the window._

 

☉☾

 

_Sasuke braced himself for the atmospheric impact that was the boisterous blond.  Naruto was simultaneously the most irritating and most interesting person in his class.  Unfortunately for Sasuke, his irritation level was far greater than his interest level._

_Within a minute, he found himself staring back into sapphire eyes as though they were trying to dissect his soul.  It took no time at all for the obnoxious boy to reach his destination and climb onto the table to get in Sasuke’s face.  Sasuke’s eyes were only briefly drawn to the three whisker marks on either of Naruto’s cheeks before returning to looking him dead in the eyes.  Sasuke kept his face impassive to hide the fact that he was actually_ impressed _that the blond had managed to make it to his table in such a short amount of time._

_Sasuke smirked at the moron, finding himself both amused and annoyed at the other boy’s actions.  He had to hand it to the blond,_ no one _dared to get in Sasuke’s face like that.  He was an Uchiha, and_ no one _disrespected a member of the Uchiha clan.  What did Naruto even think he would get out of getting in Sasuke’s face?  What did he want, a_ kiss _?_ That _sure as fuck wasn’t going to happen.  Naruto had no right to disrespect Sasuke’s personal space, even if he did so in an entertaining manner.  Knowing that he had to take some sort of action to stop this, he schooled his features and continued to stare Naruto directly in the eyes._

_“Can I help you, Namikaze?”  His voice was low and condescending, but held no emotion whatsoever.  Just like any Uchiha._

_“Hmph,” Naruto sneered.  “I don’t get what’s so special about you.”  He refused to look away or even blink.  He knew that the Uchiha could sense weakness and he would not back down from this.  He had a point to prove, after all._

_“That’s fine,” Sasuke replied coldly.  “No one asked you.”  He narrowed his eyes, but refused to look away, giving in to the unspoken challenge issued by the idiot on the table._

_“Well if they did, I’d tell them that you’re not so great.  Your name’s all hype with no real support to back it up,” he shot at the other boy.  He knew that by bringing Sasuke’s family into the picture, he had managed to land a hit._ No one _would be able to resist the temptation of countering a direct attack on their family like that._

_Sasuke simply raised one thin black eyebrow.  He would_ not _give into the temptation of lashing out against Naruto in the name of his family.  He didn’t need to defend the Uchiha name anyway, it held up its reputation all on its own.  “If that’s what you believe, then leave.”_

 

☉☾

 

_Up close, Naruto was finally starting to understand what everyone saw in Sasuke.  Not that he would ever admit that out loud.  His obsidian eyes were dark enough to hold the world’s secrets and his duck-butt hair was a wonder of nature.  From where he currently stood- or squatted really- he could internally admire the other’s flawless pale skin, high cheekbones, and the mischievous smirk he held.  Naruto had never realized that a simple facial expression could be so alluring.  It didn’t make Naruto any less frustrated, though._

_Sasuke’s ability to take his insults and seemingly not be affected by them was going to drive Naruto crazy.  In fact, it already was.  Naruto was seconds from trying to rip his hair out before the Uchiha spoke again.  “Unless you’re waiting for me to kiss you, in which case you should just go home, because it will never happen.”_

_Unfortunately for Naruto, the guy who was sitting in front of Sasuke wasn’t paying much attention to anything as he leaned his chair back absentmindedly.  At the exact moment that Naruto had opened his mouth to give Sasuke a piece of his mind, the boy behind him lost his balance, falling into Naruto.  Naruto, in turn, was pushed forward,_ right onto Sasuke’s lips _._ With his mouth open.

_Both boys’ eyes widened in shock before immediately shooting as far away from the other as they could.  Naruto practically fell off the table in his haste, before turning to the guy behind him.  “What the fuck was that about?” he screamed in the guy’s face, then bolted at a speed that was much faster than that at which he’d approached Sasuke._

_Once he was alone in the hallway, he allowed his head to fall back onto the wall as he slowly slid to the floor.  How the hell was he supposed to go back in there now?_

 

☉☾

 

_Sasuke looked around the room discreetly.  Everyone was so focused on whatever conversations they were having that no one had even noticed.  He released a breath that he hadn’t even realized he was holding as he returned his gaze to the window._

What was that about? _he wondered as he gently brought his fingers to his lips.  When he told Naruto that he wasn’t going to kiss him, he didn’t think that the blond would actually take it as a_ challenge.

_Then he had lashed out at the guy who was sitting in front of Sasuke for seemingly no reason.  Sasuke was perplexed; that was extremely out of character for the blond.  Naruto was the kid that wanted to be everyone’s friend, so the fact that he just yelled in someone’s face for no reason spoke volumes of how panicked he’d been when he left the room.  If it was that big of a deal though, why did he kiss Sasuke in the first place?_

_Sasuke fought the urge to look at the door to see if Naruto would return.  He didn’t care and he wouldn’t give Naruto the time of day.  As the minutes slowly ticked by, he_ did _begin to wonder if Naruto would actually show up for class that day.  If Sasuke had kissed another boy in front of the whole class, even if they weren’t paying attention, he wasn’t sure what he would do.  Not that Sasuke would ever be caught in that predicament.  Uchihas didn’t get caught up in the moment and make stupid mistakes like that._

_The minutes slowly dragged on and Sasuke felt some sort of gravitational pull, forcing him to look at the door that led to the hallway.  He wasn’t sure why he was so curious, but he couldn’t help it.  He had to know if Naruto would come back to class.  The blond was loud and overbearing; the biggest idiot in the class.  Sasuke was sure that nothing could derail him.  Yet as the beginning of class grew closer, Sasuke began to question himself.  Surely the boy wouldn’t miss class over a stupid mistake like this.  He knew that Naruto would walk through that door any minute now, and Sasuke would be caught staring at said door, waiting for Naruto to enter while he was thinking of him.  A very un-Uchiha action in itself that he wasn’t sure he could repent from, but he found himself caring less and less as he watched the hand of the clock slowly make its way past each number._

_Sasuke was at a loss when the unavoidable, obnoxious blond didn’t come marching through that door for the rest of the day._

 

☉☾

 

“Sasuke?” the boy looked stunned as his old rival stood frozen above him, hand inches from the katana that rest on his back.

Sasuke’s eyes immediately flicked to the whisker marks on Naruto’s face.  That had been the final determinant as to whether or not Sasuke was actually looking at the person who had been his first kiss.  Of all the people he could have seen growing up to join a yakuza faction, Naruto had not been one of them.  He was so innocent and pure, but Sasuke supposed that could change over time.  After all, he never thought he’d be killing someone in his father’s name.

Sasuke had to get himself under control.  This was for his father’s approval.  This was his one chance at surpassing his perfect older brother.  He had no choice in the matter; he knew his father would disown him if he didn’t follow through.  Why did it matter that he was about to kill an old friend in cold blood?  It served him right for getting in with the wrong crowd.

Sasuke clenched his jaw.  Even he couldn’t force himself to turn a blind eye to the fact that he knew Naruto, and had even been his friend at a time.  This complicated things, though.  Was he just going to drive a sword through Naruto’s heart in his own house, after they’d know each other for so long?  Naruto might have been annoying growing up, but he wasn’t so annoying that he was worth murdering.

“Sasuke?” Naruto asked again, sitting up in his bed this time.  “What are you doing here?”

Sasuke blinked.  He thought it was pretty obvious what he was doing here.  Any yakuza member would have been able to recognize an attempt on their life.  Was Naruto really that stupid?  “What are _you_ doing here?” he countered.  He rolled his eyes at his brilliant comeback, but held firm.  He was interested in what Naruto had to say, anyway.

“What do you mean what am I doing here?”  Naruto was standing on his bed in seconds, the orange duvet pooling at his feet.  “I live here!” he whispered emphatically, careful not to wake anyone.  “But this isn’t your home, Sasuke, so what the fuck are you doing here?”

Sasuke raised his eyebrow.  Apparently Naruto _was_ that stupid.  He didn’t want to have to spell it out for him though, so he just stuck to their familiar style of taunting.  “Isn’t it obvious, dobe*?”

“No, Sasuke, it’s not obvious,” the blond spat.  “It’s obvious that you came in through my window, which is now wide open and letting in a pretty chilly breeze, asshole!  But it’s not obvious what you’re doing here- coming in through my window- in the middle of the night.  If you wanted to see me, there are other ways!  How did you even know where I live?”

Sasuke closed his eyes in frustration.  Of course Naruto didn’t know what was going on.  He had to be the dumbest yakuza member in all of Japan.  Sasuke found himself growing more curious about what had happened in the past 5 years to bring Naruto to this point, though.  If he was being forced to kill his old friend, he was at least going to get some answers first.  

Ignoring Naruto’s own question, Sasuke raised a question of his own.  “How did you become a part of this?”

Naruto looked around his room as if he were looking for some sort of clue.  When he found nothing, he returned his attention back to Sasuke.  “A part of what?”

Sasuke let out an exasperated sigh.  He really was going to have to spell it out for Naruto, wasn’t he?  “ _This_ ,” he stressed as he gestured around the room to point out exactly where they were.

“Oh,” Naruto said, seeming to finally understand.  “You mean here?  With Jiraiya?”

Sasuke let out a sigh of relief.  Maybe Naruto wasn’t _that_ stupid after all.  “Yes.  How did you end up as a part of Jiraiya’s...household?”

“Oh, well, you remember when my parents died?” Naruto asked.  Sasuke nodded.  He remembered it well as it would have been the last time he had seen the blond.  “Well, Jiraiya became my guardian, so I guess I lucked out, huh?  This way I didn’t have to go to an orphanage and worry about who may or may not adopt me.”

Sasuke was shell-shocked.   _This_ was better than going to an orphanage?  Naruto actually _preferred_ joining the yakuza to going to an orphanage?  Surely going to an orphanage couldn’t be _that_ bad.  “ _This_ is better than going to an orphanage?” Sasuke asked incredulously.

“Uh, yeah?” Naruto scratched the back of his head, not sure how that was unclear.  He had a great life, and despite being a pervert, Jiraiya took great care of him.  In what situation would going to an orphanage have been better?  

Sasuke held in a groan.  This was unbelievable.  Naruto actually chose a life of crime over the chance to be adopted by a semi-decent family.  Though, he supposed that he was doing the same thing in a way.  While he still had Naruto here to answer his questions, he figured he might as well learn what he was about to get himself into.

“So, what do you do?” he asked, somehow knowing that Naruto would not pick up on his hints, so he would have spell it out again.

“What do I do?” Naruto asked, completely confused.  He didn’t know what Sasuke was trying to ask, so he tried to clear it up.  “Like, as a job, or for fun, or what?”

Sasuke almost laughed.  If he weren’t minutes away from killing someone that he’d grown up with- and possibly knew better than anyone outside his family- he might have.  This was no laughing matter, though.  Naruto was about to die and Sasuke was about to sell his soul to the devil for his father’s business.  The realization overwhelmed him momentarily before he pushed the thought out of his mind.  This was no time to be sentimental.  “No, I mean...what are your missions?”

“My missions?” Naruto asked, raising his eyebrows.  He was pretty sure that Sasuke had completely lost it.  Maybe he was sleepwalking.  Or on some sort of drug.  He didn’t really know, but what he did know was that _this_ wasn’t Sasuke.  Or at least not the Sasuke he knew.  “Sasuke, are you...are you _okay_?”

Sasuke closed his eyes in frustration once again.  Either Naruto was playing dumb, or he really didn’t know what was going on.  He suddenly remembered from his research that Jiraiya’s faction had a purple toad tattoo on their right bicep.  He had to see if Naruto had Jiraiya’s mark.  “Take off your shirt.”

“What?” Naruto pulled back in shock.  Was Sasuke asking him to strip?  Did...did Sasuke _like_ him?  He felt his cheeks color at the possibility.   _But that kiss was like eight years ago, why would Sasuke suddenly act on it now; besides, it was an accident._

“Don’t argue with me, Naruto, just take it off, before I cut it off.”  He tried not to flinch at his own words, but he couldn’t help it.  It sounded like he was coming on to Naruto.  Not only that, but if he so much as nicked Naruto with his blade, it would kill him.  He had researched Black Mamba venom, only to find that it was incredibly lethal.  He guessed that in a way it didn’t matter, since he was going to kill Naruto anyway, but he was trying to put it off as long as possible.

Naruto looked away, embarrassed, but complied anyway.  He supposed if Sasuke had come all this way just to see him, he could show a little skin.  He refused to show anymore though, and he let Sasuke know as much.  “Fine, you bastard, but don’t expect a free show,” he said as he pulled off his white t-shirt, revealing his hard-earned 8-pack and his naturally bronzed skin.

Sasuke’s brain short-circuited for a moment as he eyed the tan skin pulled taught over Naruto’s defined pecs and abs.  Sasuke had never really felt sexual desire before, but he figured this was it.  He felt his mouth begin to water at the sight of his old rival shirtless in the soft glow of moonlight coming through the open window.  Happy birthday to him.  He tried his best to keep his face blank as he snuck a peek at Naruto’s right bicep, which was just as toned as the rest of him.  He allowed himself to relax slightly when he found there was nothing there.  “And here I thought you were more than just a stripper,” he teased, hiding the fact that his emotions were becoming gradually more complex.

“Yeah, whatever.  Just don’t get used to it, teme*,” Naruto countered, finally beginning to relax as he sat down on his bed.  He didn’t even care why Sasuke was here anymore, he was just glad to see his old friend again.  That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to try to find out, though.  “So, why _are_ you here?”

Sasuke stared blankly at Naruto.  He knew that he could _not_ tell Naruto his true purpose for being here.  He let his eyes graze over the tempting blond again.  What he wouldn’t give to figure out _exactly_ what he was feeling at that moment.  He sat down next to Naruto, looking the blond in the eyes.  “That’s not important right now.”

“Ah, you came all the way out to Tokyo just to see little old me?” Naruto joked lightheartedly.  “If that’s the case, why haven’t you done it until now?”

Sasuke looked down at his hands that now rested in his lap.  He had dressed in all black for his first assassination, but now he wasn’t sure he could follow through with it.  He looked back at Naruto, his unanswered question hanging in the air.  Naruto never knew that Sasuke had moved to Tokyo because he moved first.  In fact, Sasuke moved almost immediately after Naruto.  He hadn’t thought about it before, but now that he was, the timing seemed...strange.  Could it be that he was destined to be close to Naruto forever?  What did that mean for his mission?

“Okay, I get it,” Naruto laughed, “you suck at being a friend.  We are still friends, right Sasuke?”  Naruto looked at Sasuke, his eyes full of hope.  That look almost killed Sasuke on the spot.

“Of course,” Sasuke responded, knowing it to be the truth.  He assessed Naruto carefully, trying to ignore the appendage that was gradually trying to come to life in his pants.  “I missed you,” he whispered before he could stop himself.

Any hope that Sasuke had of Naruto not hearing that last part went out the window as Naruto responded.  “Sasuke…”  Sasuke turned away at Naruto’s abnormal use of such a quiet tone, focusing his attention on the open window instead.  Dammit, he was fucking everything up.  He wasn’t going to fulfill his mission, he would be disowned by his father, and what’s worse, now he was having confusing feelings for a guy he hadn’t seen in 5 years.  

He really had missed Naruto, though.  Even if they’d had an overly competitive friendship, they were still friends.  Once the loud, obnoxious, omnipresent bundle of joy was gone, it had left a hole that Sasuke found couldn’t be filled.  After the blond’s parents had died, Naruto just disappeared from his life.  Sasuke hadn’t even known that he'd moved to Tokyo.  Then when Sasuke moved, he lost all hope of ever filling that void, but now he had a chance.  If he would have known that Naruto was in Tokyo all this time...his mother would have been ecstatic.  She had always loved Naruto.

“Hey,” Naruto bumped his shoulder into Sasuke’s, trying to pull the raven out of his own head.  “Don’t beat yourself up, I’m sure you’ve been busy with trying to take your father’s spot.  Speaking of your family, how’s Itachi?” he asked excitedly, not knowing what had happened within the Uchiha family in the past few years.

Sasuke tensed next to Naruto, and the blond noticed it, but said nothing.  If Sasuke was having a problem with his brother, he could tell him on his own time.  He knew that Sasuke wasn’t big on talking about anything anyway, so he just remained silent as he waited for Sasuke to bring up a topic that they could actually discuss.

“Have you made a lot of friends in Tokyo?” Sasuke finally asked, knowing that Naruto always craved affection of any kind.  Back in Konoha, Naruto had tried to make friends with everyone.  Sasuke was sure that he hadn't changed in that regard, but it was an easier subject to discuss than his brother.

“Nah, not really.  I’ve just got my family and that’s about it,” he gestured around the room to emphasize that other people lived in the house.  “It’s okay though, I love the people I live with.  What about you, teme, do you have many friends?”  Then, excitedly, he asked, “do you have a girlfriend?!”

Sasuke smirked.  He was not at all surprised that Naruto was asking if he had a girlfriend.  All his life, the female population had practically thrown themselves at his feet, but he wasn’t interested.  In fact, until today, he thought he was asexual**, and he’d told Naruto as much when they were younger.  Apparently Naruto had forgotten a few details of their childhood, but now even he was questioning this particular detail.  It appeared as though Naruto was an anomaly, but then, he always had been.

“No,” Sasuke let out a low laugh at the thought of him having a girlfriend.  “I’m not into girls, dobe.  I’m surprised that after years of watching me ignore them, you haven’t learned that yet.”  He would have just reminded the blond that he was asexual if he wasn’t now questioning his sexual identity, but he didn’t want to misinform his old friend.

“Oh,” Naruto blushed, looking away.  He was surprised that someone as pretty as the Uchiha hadn’t been snatched up already, but if he didn’t swing that way…  Not to mention that his father would undoubtedly have his head if he came out as gay.  Sasuke’s life seemed so hard.  Naruto was bisexual himself, but he didn’t really have a family name to live up to anyway, so it didn’t matter.  He definitely made a mental note about Sasuke’s admission though.  He would have plenty of time to think about that later.

Sasuke noticed the slight blush on Naruto’s face, but he didn’t comment.  He couldn’t afford to think about something like that right now when he still had his own feelings to sort out.  He heard a faint noise out in the hall and that quickly brought him back to reality.  He stood up immediately, replacing his ski mask and readying himself to climb back out the window, but turned to Naruto before he left. “You should talk to Jiraiya about why I was here.  I get the feeling that he’ll know.”

Naruto blinked at the sudden change in topic and the fact that Sasuke was in a rush to leave, but he said nothing.  He would talk to Jiraiya tomorrow, but now he still had a few moments left with Sasuke.  He looked over to the Uchiha who was already climbing out the window, admiring how the pale man looked in the moonlight.  “Hey Sasuke,” he said quietly, causing jet-black eyes to meet his own.  “Happy birthday.”

Stunned, Sasuke opened his mouth to say something, but when he saw the doorknob start to turn, he knew he didn’t have time.  He eased himself off the edge and disappeared into the night before anyone could find him.

 

☉☾

 

“Naruto?” Gaara walked into Naruto’s room, giving the blond a strange look.  “Were you talking to someone?”  Gaara was an insomniac, so he almost never slept, but he could have sworn he heard someone in here with Naruto.  Much to his surprise though, when Gaara entered the room, Naruto was sitting on his bed alone.  And shirtless... _that_ was a bit unusual.

“Nope, just myself,” he laughed.  “You know, I have like, a word requirement.  If I don’t talk enough during the day, I have to get it out later, like at night.”

Gaara eyed the blond suspiciously.  “You do realize that it’s 3am, right?  Did you really wake up at 3am...take your shirt off… and just to talk to yourself?”

“I mean, yeah, it happens.  I try to do it when everyone is asleep, so I don’t seem like a crazy person, but…” he trailed off, not wanting to call Gaara out for not sleeping.  He knew that the redhead couldn’t really help it and he wasn’t trying to insult him.

“And your shirt?” Gaara nodded at the discarded piece of clothing on the bed.  There was no reason he could see for Naruto to wake up and strip off his shirt, but maybe he had an explanation.

“I was hot,” Naruto shrugged.  “I had a nightmare and I woke up sweating, so I stripped off my shirt real quick and opened the window,” he pointed to the window as he spoke.  “Now that you mention it though, I am feeling kind of chilly now.”  He walked over to the window to shut- and not lock- it and then pulled his shirt back on.  He forced a yawn as he sat back down on his bed.  “Actually Gaara, I think I’m gonna try to get some more sleep, but thanks for checking up on me.”

“Anytime,” Gaara rolled his eyes as he began to walk out of the room.  He meant it, but at the same time, he’d also noticed how Naruto had left his window unlocked.  That kid really had no regard for his own safety.

 

☉☾

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *At the insistence of my beta reader, for those of you who don't know, *dobe* is a Japanese term for *idiot* and *teme* essentially means bastard or asshole. I'm sure most of you were aware of this, but they insisted I clarify.
> 
> **Another suggestion from my beta: *asexuality* is a term used to describe someone who doesn't feel the need to partake in sexual activities.
> 
> Coming Up: In the next chapter, The Informant, Naruto talks to Jiraiya as he tries to figure out what's going on and you learn how Jiraiya became a yakuza boss.


	3. The Informant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Upon arriving home, Sasuke has an awkward conversation with his father. When confronted by Naruto, Jiraiya remembers how he and Orochimaru became rival yakuza bosses before he explains what's really been going on for the past five years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my beta was on top of shit this past week, so I get to post chapter 3 earlier than I expected! I think they feel a little guilty for the long wait. Of course, I *am* a jinx, so let's just hope it won't be another two months before I can update again.
> 
> Warning: There is smut in this chapter. If you want to avoid said smut, it is clearly labeled and you can just skip ahead to the next section. You won't miss any plot, so don't worry about that; I don't want to force you into reading anything you're uncomfortable with.
> 
> Another Warning: This chapter has some awkward moments, strange humor, and some mildly graphic mentions of violence. It can be found either amusing or disgusting, just try not to be put off by it; the rest of the fic isn't necessarily like this, this chapter just introduces a few awkward situations.
> 
> This chapter will probably be the longest one in the fic, it's about 9000 words. I thought about splitting it up, but it just works better to me when it's altogether, so I apologize if that makes things difficult for anybody.

When Sasuke returned to the condo after his failed mission, he found his father sitting in the living room on the couch, facing away from where he had entered.  From where he was standing, he could only see his father’s head as it laid on the back of the couch.

“Sasuke,” he called to his son, his voice remaining steady.  “Come here.”  Sasuke was weary and he wasn’t exactly in the mood to deal with his father, but he complied anyway.  Such was the price of trying to best Itachi.  He crossed the room to kneel in front of his father, not at all shocked at the woman on her knees with her head buried deep within Fugaku’s lap.  Fugaku wasn't ashamed, Sasuke was an adult now and he needed to learn about his new reality.*

Though Fugaku’s infidelity infuriated Sasuke, he had suspected it since they’d moved out to Tokyo.  After everything he’d learned today, watching his father get blown was the least of his worries.

“Father,” he bowed his head respectfully, trying to ignore what was happening right in front of him.  A quick glance at the woman had told him everything he needed to know.  She wore a black mini skirt and a red tube top that showed off her midriff, and she sported a black snake tattoo encircling her hips like a belt.  It was the mark of Orochimaru’s prostitution ring.  Fugaku hadn’t needed to pay the girl a dime.

“Have you completed your mission?” he asked his son firmly.  Sasuke knew that his father expected him to say he had, and he was even more aware of the disappointment that would soon be growing within his father.  He braced himself for the conversation they were about to have, knowing that it wouldn’t make any difference, but Sasuke had to know.

“The target is Namikaze Naruto,” he stated without answering his father’s question.  “We attended school together in Konoha.”  He glanced up at his father briefly, who had closed his eyes as the woman serviced him.

“Is that so?” he responded, devoid of all emotion in the matter.  Of course Fugaku didn’t care about anyone other than himself, being the selfish prick that he was.  Sasuke had been aware of this his entire life, but that didn’t change the growing animosity he felt toward his father.

“It is,” he responded, matching Fugaku’s cold tone.  He was an Uchiha too, after all, he could play the same game that his father did.  “In fact, he moved away from Konoha about 5 years ago, after his parents died.”

“So you will be reuniting him with his family, then?  That’s very kind of you Sasuke,” his voice was still flat and emotionless.  Sasuke felt his blood begin to boil under his skin.  There was more to his mission to kill Naruto than reuniting him with his family and his father knew that.  He also knew that he was still hiding things from him.

“He’s innocent, a victim even,” Sasuke calmly explained, keeping his voice flat and his emotions in check.  No matter how angry he got, he could not lash out against his father.  “It’s illogical.  There’s no reason to target an innocent man.”

“I believe that Orochimaru-sama has provided you with enough information to explain his reasoning.  I wouldn’t deviate from your mission, Sasuke.  Orochimaru-sama can provide you with anything that you could ever want, but he can just as easily take away everything you’ve ever known.”  It was the closest that Sasuke’s father had ever come to sounding like he cared about him in the slightest.

He briefly contemplated his father’s words, wondering what it meant that Orochimaru was trying to take away the only thing he actually _did_ really want, but without even knowing it.  Sasuke contemplated how to approach the idea that he didn’t want to kill Naruto without making it too obvious.  “He’s very well-protected, the mission isn’t a guaranteed success,” he stated simply, knowing that his father would respond appropriately.

“As I said before, Sasuke, I wouldn’t deviate from your mission.  Orochimaru-sama is a very powerful man and he can be the reason you realize your dreams or meet your downfall.  You are the only person responsible for your success, so if I were you, I’d take it seriously.  After all...” he opened his eyes and waited for his son to look at him before continuing, “...I wouldn’t want another disappointment like you brother.”

Sasuke sat frozen as his father tucked himself away and zipped up his pants before standing and walking off toward his room.  He stopped before opening his door, turning his head so that Sasuke could hear him as he spoke.  “Kin, why don’t you escort my son to his room.  I believe he could benefit from your services.”  He then opened his door and proceeded to his room, leaving Sasuke alone with the woman.

She stared at him quietly as he sat there, seething.  How dare his father try to set him up with a prostitute!  Or with anyone for that matter.  Sasuke looked at the silent woman, trying to keep his voice still as he finally spoke.  “Just leave.  I’m not in need of anything my father has to offer.”

She nodded her head, still refusing to say anything as she saw herself out.  Sasuke let out breath as he tried to figure out what he was going to do next.  Did he want to avoid being a disappointment like Itachi?  He wasn’t so sure anymore.

 

☉☾

 

Naruto stood outside of The Toad’s Mouth, the strip club that Jiraiya owned and spent most of his time at.  He wasn’t entirely sure what it was that he needed to discuss with Jiraiya, but they needed to talk.  He proceeded into the club, determined to find some answers.

He found his godfather immediately.  Carefully navigating through the sea of bodies, he made his way over to the older man so he could speak with him.  His blond hair stood out amongst the crowd, so Jiraiya noticed him coming toward him.  “Hey kiddo,” Jiraiya greeted the younger man as he approached.

“Perv,” Naruto said in a way of greeting.  It might annoy the man like none other, but he couldn’t deny it as he sat in the middle of the strip club getting a lap dance.  

“Didn’t I tell you not to call me that?”  he asked as the pretty young woman, who was dangerously close to his crotch, ran her fingers through her hair.  He managed to choke out a laugh despite the crude nickname, knowing that Naruto meant no harm by it.  That and the fact that he couldn't deny it, given the situation.  “What’s up, brat?”

“I need to talk to you.  I have...a lot of questions,” he said, unsure of exactly how many questions he would have or how long this conversation would last.  He still wasn’t sure why Sasuke was in his room, or why he thought Jiraiya would have the answer.  Did his guardian even know who Sasuke was?  None of this made sense in his head, and he wasn’t entirely sure that this conversation would clear anything up.

“Alright kiddo, have a seat,” he pointed at the chair next to him and snapped his fingers at one of the girls.  She hurried over to where she was summoned, proceeding to give Naruto the same treatment that her coworker was giving Jiraiya.  

Naruto took a moment to admire the woman in front of him.  She had long black hair and amber eyes with a beautiful face.  She almost could have looked like Sasuke if he were a girl.  Naruto shut his eyes against the images that flooded his mind, knowing that nothing good would come of it in this situation.  He had plenty of time of think about Sasuke when he was alone, but now was not the time for that.

“She’s a beauty, isn’t she?” Jiraiya commented, sensing Naruto’s internal struggle.  “Her name’s Haku; she’s transgendered, transitioning to female.  I figured you’d like her, seeing that you’re bisexual and everything.  The best of both worlds if you ask me, am I right?  You won’t find someone with a penis who’s that pretty anywhere else.”**

Naruto wasn’t so sure about that last part.  Sure, the girl was gorgeous and Naruto would have never guessed that she was transitioning, but he knew exactly where to find a guy just as pretty.  Well, maybe not _where_ exactly, but he had a particular _someone_ in mind.  Those thoughts made him remember why he was there in the first place.

“I was visited by an old friend last night,” he started off lightly, knowing that after a certain point, this conversation would become heavy.  He didn’t know where it would go, exactly, but he had a feeling that he was missing some very important information.

“Is that so?” the older man chuckled.  “It’s always good to see old friends.  Was it someone you knew from Konoha?  Perhaps someone you went to school with?”

Naruto swallowed nervously.  “Yeah....we went to school together in Konoha.  Before...before I moved.”  Naruto wasn’t entirely comfortable speaking of his parents’ death, considering how it had happened.  He tried to forget that fact, but every now and then it would sneak up on him.  Sasuke was a reminder of simpler times.  Perhaps that was why he was so happy to see him.***

“Well, that’s good.  I’m glad that you’ve managed to keep in touch with some of your old friends.  Does that mean you want to try to hang out with him sometime?  I’m not a dictator, you know you can go spend time with your friends whenever you want!  So, who is this friend?  Someone I should be expecting at the house a lot?”

“His name’s Sasuke.  Uchiha Sasuke,” he looked over at the older man, trying to gauge his reaction.  Jiraiya’s facial expression hadn’t changed, but Naruto was fully aware that his godfather was tensing next to him.  He was worried about that; there was definitely something going on.  “He told me to talk to you.  Said you’d know why he was there.”

Naruto watched as his guardian’s eyes grew wider.  Bullseye.  Whatever was going on, the man knew about it and Naruto was going to get to the bottom of it.  “I might know why he visited you,” he admitted, refusing to offer up anything else.

“And why might that be?” Naruto prodded.  His godfather wasn’t going easy on him and Naruto was going to get that information out of him even if he had to pry it out of his mouth.

Jiraiya ran his hands over his face, knowing that the conversation they were about to have would not be easy, but it was necessary.  Naruto deserved to know what was going on in his own life, after all, he was almost 20 anyway.  Even though Jiraiya recognized 18 as the age of adulthood, Naruto was special; he was Minato’s son.  He wasn’t quite ready to divulge everything though, so he was going to let Naruto direct the conversation.

He looked over at the sunny blond who had managed to smile his way through his parents’ death at the fragile age of 15.  He hoped that Naruto’s strong character would keep him together.  There was no easy way to say this, so he figured straightforward would be his best bet.  “He was there to assassinate you.”

 

☉☾

 

_Jiraiya walked proudly out of the bookstore, ecstatic to have seen his own work on display.  He’d put all his time and energy into writing the novel that he’d come to known as his masterpiece.  So what if it was erotica?  It was something, it was published, and it was selling; that’s all that mattered._

_He didn’t even notice the old man that he’d walked past, reading a copy of the newly-released book.  Something about his short white beard and hair helped him blend in._

_“Icha Icha Paradise, huh?” the old man questioned right before Jiraiya was out of earshot.  Jiraiya quickly turned around, excited at the recognition of his newest work.  “Of course, you use a pseudonym.  That’s wise of you.  There’s no need to risk your reputation.”_

_“I don’t know about risking my reputation,” Jiraiya called out excitedly.  “I’m more worried about my reputation risking my sales!”  He howled with his hands on his stomach._

_“Is that so?  I understand that the labors of writing aren’t very fruitful, and I’d like to make you an offer that you can’t refuse.  You would still be able to pursue your writing on the side, but think of it as earning a little spending money.”_

_“Oh yeah?  And what is this offer that I can’t refuse?”  Jiraiya was dubious, as anyone in that situation would be.  It sounded like this old man was telling him that he could make more money on the side and still have time to pursue his dream.  How was that possible?_

_“Let me take you out for some tea,” the old man offered.  “We can discuss the details there.”_

 

☉☾

 

_“My name is Sarutobi Hiruzen,” the old man said, finally introducing himself.  “I run the Tokyo no Kage organization and I believe that I have the perfect job to suit your area of expertise.”  He looked at Jiraiya, aware of the fact that yakuza organizations were frowned upon.****_

_Jiraiya was shocked at the man’s words and couldn’t help himself when several questions came tumbling out of his mouth.  “Tokyo no Kage?  The yakuza faction in Tokyo?  Why would I join the yakuza?  What job could you possibly have for me there?”_

_Hiruzen actually managed to laugh, thoroughly entertained by the young man’s reaction.  “Those are all good questions.  Now, I know what you’re thinking, and yes, Tokyo no Kage is the yakuza faction in Tokyo, but there’s more to my organization than meets the eye.  All my members are treated fairly as if they are my own family and everyone involved in my dealings are willing participants.  The money is good and it will help you support yourself in times of need as it is much more reliable than book sales.  As for your position, I was thinking that you could run my prostitution ring.”  He held up the book that he’d purchased in emphasis.  “Given your work, I would assume that you know a thing or two about the sex industry.  You’re also well-built, able to protect the workers.  Like I already said, the money is good and it’s something you can depend on.  I can even let you test the waters first, if you like.  Work for me for a week and if you don’t like it, then you can walk away, but if you do…” he trailed off, allowing Jiraiya to fill in the blank._

_“If I do, then I’ll join your organization?”  Jiraiya thought it over for a minute.  He really didn’t have anything to lose.  His family was long gone and not in any position to lecture him on his decisions or advise him against them.  His only friends, a girl he was trying to sleep with and a guy who was better than him at everything, were starting to move in different directions and he was as well.  It was only a matter a time before they went their separate ways entirely.  This was his one chance to show up his long-time rival, and if the money was as good as the old man said it was, there was no reason not to test it out.  He shrugged noncommittally.  “Sure, I guess I can give it a shot.”_

_“Great!” the old man smiled excitedly.  “You can get started immediately and we’ll reconvene in a week!”  Jiraiya wasn’t entirely sure what he’d gotten himself into, but if it allowed him to make a life for himself, he figured it couldn’t have been that bad._

 

☉☾

 

_“How did you find this out?” Orochimaru hissed at the blonde woman sitting next to him in the local library.  It didn’t take long for word to get around to Jiraiya’s two friends of the opportunities that awaited him in Tokyo._

_“I told you,” Tsunade explained calmly, rolling her eyes at the man’s aggression.  “I followed them and I overheard them talking.  I think it will good for him.  It gives him a chance to make a life for himself, even if that life is less than...accepted.”_

_“No,” the pale man shook his head vigorously.  “No, he can not beat me, not like this.  Monetary gain is_ my _area of expertise, not his.  If he’s going to be raking it in, I need to as well.”_

 _Tsunade rolled her eyes again.  “Can’t you just be happy for him, Orochimaru?  He’s going to be leading a prostitution ring.  That’s perfect for a pervert like him.  I bet the old man will even let him open up his own strip club in time.  Besides, you have plenty of_ legitimate _methods for earning money; he doesn’t.  Let him have this one thing, this one,_ illegitimate _thing.”_

_“Whatever,” Orochimaru huffed as he fell back into his chair.  “I will make plenty of money, he’ll see.  I can’t let him get the better of me, so I’ll just have to put him in his place, like I always do.”_

_Tsunade bit at her thumb, thoughtfully.  She wasn’t sure what Orochimaru was planning, but she was sick of her two best friends fighting all the time.  Unfortunately, she had a feeling that Orochimaru was only going to make things worse._

 

☉☾

 

_Tobirama stared down at the long-haired young man before him.  It wasn’t often that opportunistic young men such as he sought out the yakuza boss to show up his best friend.  He had to admit though, the kid had a certain thirst for control that Tobirama had once seen in himself and he respected that.  There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that this particular prospect could accomplish great things._

_“You would be willing to start immediately?” he asked the young man, already knowing the answer, but loving it when he was presented with someone so eager._

_“Of course, Tobirama-sama,” Orochimaru agreed, his voice low, coming out like a hiss.  He wasn’t going to let Jiraiya have all the fun, he would make just as much money as the white-haired man, hopefully even more than that._

_“And you don’t care about your assignment?”_

_“Not at all, Tobirama-sama.”_

_“Very well then.  You will be assigned to my assassination squad.  They will show you the ropes and explain everything you need to know.  After your first mission, we will hold your induction ceremony in which you will be presented with my mark.”  He didn’t actually see the young man as a cold-blooded killer, but he wanted to test his loyalty to the cause.  If he were willing to take another’s life simply to prove a point, then his loyalty could not be questioned._

_“Yes, Tobirama-sama,” came the reply.  Orochimaru was then led out of the room by Tobirama’s top assassins, who briefed him on his induction mission.  There wasn’t a doubt in Tobirama’s mind that this particular boy would be quite the asset._

 

☉☾

 

_“How do you like it so far?” Hiruzen asked Jiraiya after a week had passed.  He had just handed Jiraiya a week’s worth of pay and wasn’t unaware of the man’s shocked state.  He was hoping that the money was enough to convince him to stay._

_“Actually, I am really liking it,” Jiraiya answered as he tucked the check away in the pocket of his hoodie.  “Everyone is surprisingly nice and it’s refreshing not being looked down upon for being interested in sex.”_

_“And I assume the pay is to your liking as well?”_

_“That was completely unexpected,” Jiraiya remembered himself staring at the number that represented the value of what he’d done for a mere week.  What’s better is that he’d enjoyed it.  The workers actually seemed to enjoy their jobs too, which he had trouble comprehending, but everyone in Hiruzen’s organization always seemed..._ happy _.  Even now, Jiraiya was already beginning to feel like he was a part of a family again._

_“So I take it I can consider this position filled?”  Hiruzen asked pointedly.  He’d known when he picked up Jiraiya’s novel at that bookstore that the man was perfect for the job.  No one else would fit it quite as well as he did and he really didn’t want to go out looking for someone else.  He was getting old and recruiting was becoming more tiresome as the years dragged on._

_“Of course, count me in!” Jiraiya answered excitedly.  He was not entirely sure how’d he’d been so lucky as to find a job that he truly loved, paid well, and that left him with enough time to pursue his writing career as well._

_“Well then, I’d like to officially welcome you to our organization.  I’ll come get you in an hour and we can place my mark on you, formally admitting you.  I look forward to working with you.”_

_Jiraiya smiled, happier than he’d been in a long time.  It was nice to finally belong somewhere without constantly competing with someone else._

 

☉☾

 

 _Orochimaru strutted down the Tokyo street, knowing_ exactly _where he was and whose turf he was on.  It wasn’t long before he spotted his rival and waited for their eyes to meet._

_Once Jiraiya had finally noticed the man, he calmly walked over to Jiraiya, making his presence known as he began to speak in the low voice he always used for the man.  “Long time no see, old friend.”_

_“Orochimaru,” Jiraiya responded calmly, not wanting the man to see him sweat.  He noticed the mark of Otogakure’s yakuza faction on Orochimaru’s arm almost immediately, but he wasn’t going to say anything about it._

_“I see you’ve finally found your place,” he said pointedly as he looked directly at Jiraiya’s mark and licked his lips.  “That’s okay though, because I’ve found mine as well.  In fact, I’ve recently learned that I’ll soon be receiving a promotion of sorts.”_

_“Congratulations,” Jiraiya said, making sure to keep his emotions out of his voice.  Orochimaru could_ not _know that this was affecting him.  Besides, he needed to get over himself anyway._

_“Yes, it seems we both have our place in society,” the black-haired man pressed forward, still trying to get a rise out of the other.  “It’s about time that I take my leave though.  I’ll see you around old friend,” he added as he turned to leave._

_Jiraiya watched his best friend, now rival, as he walked away purposefully.  So what if Orochimaru was a yakuza boss?  He didn’t want that position anyway.  He liked his life just the way it was._

 

☉☾

 

_“With all due respect, Hiruzen-sama, you’re joking, right?”  Jiraiya was sure that he hadn’t heard him correctly from his kneeling position directly in front of the man.  That, or the old man was senile.  Either one seemed quite possible at the moment._

_“Dammit boy, didn’t I tell you to drop the ‘sama’?  I am not your superior, I am your family.  You have done so much for my organization, if anyone has a right to be informal with me, it’s you.  And no, I’m not joking.”_

_“You seriously want_ me _to take your place in the organization?”  Jiraiya was still trying to process the information himself.  Him, a yakuza boss?  That sounded crazy!  Then again, he thought it sounded crazy when he was first invited to join the organization in the first place._

_“Of course,” Hiruzen answered simply, as if he weren’t asking Jiraiya for a favor that was beyond comprehension.  “Of all our members, you best understand the values that I try to instill in everyone.  You would make a great leader and I trust you to carry on my legacy.”_

_“I don’t know…” Jiraiya scratched the back of his head nervously.  Hiruzen was sure asking a lot from him and those were pretty big shoes to fill.  He wasn’t quite sure that he was up to the challenge._

_“It’s not a question, boy.  I’m just letting you know what’s coming.  You will become head of my organization now that I am retiring.  If you have any questions concerning the nature of the business between now and then, feel free to ask.  Until then, just take care of your workers and prepare yourself for what’s to come.  You are dismissed.”_

_With that, Jiraiya stood up and stalked off to his room, unsure of how he was going to handle the challenges that lie ahead of him._

 

☉☾

 

Naruto almost started choking at the words that his godfather had just spoken.  “Assassinate me?!  Why would Sasuke want to assassinate me?  What did I ever do to him?”  His mind was reeling.  Here he was, practically fantasizing about a man who had been trying to _kill_ him the night before.

Jiraiya reached out and smacked Naruto on the back of the head.  “Keep it down, will you?  Judging by the fact that you’re still alive, I take it he didn’t do a very good job?”

Naruto thought back to the night before.  Sasuke had woken him up when he’d said his name.  But why had he said his name?  What the hell was going on?

“Tell me what happened,” Jiraiya demanded quietly, but firmly.  Naruto had never been particularly good at reading between the lines and based on what he knew about the Uchiha family, they _existed_ in between the lines.

Naruto sat in silence for a moment, trying to remember all the events that had transpired when Sasuke was in his room.  Even after Naruto had woken up, Sasuke seemed to be mulling something over.  What the hell had been going through that bastard’s head, anyway?  Then he had started asking Naruto weird questions that he couldn’t answer, grilling Naruto as if he had something to explain when the bastard had snuck into _his_ room.

“Naruto,” Jiraiya pressed, knowing that the sooner he figured out what was going on, the better.

“He...came into my room.  Then he said my name, which woke me up.  He started asking me all kinds of weird questions like what was I doing there, what were my missions.  Then he told me to take my shirt off.”

“Alright, so he was looking for my mark, which you don’t have.”  Jiraiya explained calmly.

“Yeah, because I’m not 20 yet, right?”  Naruto knew that he was going to get his purple toad when he turned 20, Jiraiya had just been waiting for the right time.

“Not exactly,” Jiraiya sucked in a breath through his teeth as he answered.

“What do you mean ‘not exactly’?” Naruto asked, offended.  He wanted to be a full-fledged member of the family, complete with a purple toad tattoo.  Why was Jiraiya denying him this one, very important thing?

“I mean, brat, that the toad represents Tokyo No Kage,” Jiraiya explained.  Surely he hadn’t shielded him so much from the truth that Naruto didn’t know what that meant, right?

“And what is Tokyo no Kage?” Naruto asked impatiently.  His godfather was skirting around his questions and Naruto wanted answers, dammit.

Jiraiya stared at the young boy for a moment.  He was so pure and innocent, he just wanted to make it last as long as possible, knowing that he was about to take that all away.  “Tokyo’s local yakuza faction.”

Naruto opened his mouth to start pitching a fit, but closed it immediately when he remembered that he was told to “keep it down”.  He took a few deep breaths before he proceeded.  “So, you’re a yakuza boss, an oyabun?  And all my friends, our family, are yakuza members?  So Sasuke...Sasuke thought that _I_ was a yakuza member.  Where do I even begin, _dad_?”  Jiraiya had asked all the kids to call him dad in public, to make them more like a normal family.  Naruto was beginning to wonder if even that was a lie.

“Yes.  You’ve been living amongst a yakuza faction for the past 5 years.”

“Where do I even begin?  How did you become a yakuza boss?  Why did you take me in if you were?   _When_ did this all happen?  And _why_ didn’t you tell me?”  Naruto was beside himself.  Had everything he’d known for the past 5 years been a lie?

“I was approached by Hiruzen shortly after your father was old enough to take care of himself.  I was still fairly young at that time, but I’d just put out my first erotica novel.  Hiruzen, the old Tokyo no Kage boss, offered me a position and a salary that not only allowed me to continue to write, but also supported me if my sales weren’t great.  It was the best option I had available, so I took it.  When Hiruzen retired, he appointed me as the head of the Tokyo no Kage faction.  I took you in because I knew that it was the right thing to do and I owed it to your father.  And I didn’t tell you, brat, for your own safety,” Jiraiya sighed as he waited for the hard-headed blond to respond.

Naruto tried to keep his voice still as he spoke.  “My safety?  My _safety_ ?  I’ve been living on yakuza property for 5 years and somehow that was safer than _telling me the truth_?”

“I was worried that you would become a target.  This way, you had plenty of protection and a loving family.  I took precautions, I’m not as reckless as you might believe.  Everyone in that house would kill for you kid, and they wouldn’t bat an eye as they did it.  I know it’s intimidating, but it’s your best chance of survival after what happened with your parents.  Part of the reason that I chose to become a part of Tokyo no Kage is because Hiruzen treated his organization like a family.  You won’t find that in other yakuza factions; consider yourself lucky.”

“Oh?  And what precautions did you take?  You let me do whatever I want, whenever I want.  I could have been killed in some alleyway one night and you might never have known!”  He wasn’t quite yelling, but he had raised his voice and Jiraiya sent him a stern look in response.

“I had you home-schooled so it would be more difficult to find you.  Your name was officially changed when I adopted you, _Uzumaki Menma_ ,” he stressed the name to inform Naruto of his new identity.  “As for becoming a target, I have Kiba monitoring the hits put out by the other yakuza factions.  All my bases are covered.  Even when I let you go out alone, I make sure that the angels keep close tabs on you so you don’t get hurt.  Is that enough for you?”

“Wait.  You changed my name without even telling me about it?  What good would that have done if I went around introducing myself as Namikaze Naruto?” Naruto asked, his mind still reeling.

“That’s part of why you were home-schooled.  Namikaze Naruto no longer exists anyway though, so if someone tried to track you down, they wouldn’t find you.  You haven’t had a job or anything that would have officially tied that name to you within the past 5 years,” He was looking directly at Naruto, despite the efforts of the girl who was still giving him a lap dance.

“My...my license…” Naruto fumbled around in his wallet as he took out his ID to show his guardian.  “It says Namikaze Naruto on it.”

“It’s fake,” Jiraiya admitted, reaching into his own wallet.  “This is the real one.”  He handed Naruto an ID that looked identical to his, except the name on it was Uzumaki Menma.  “The yakuza can accomplish the impossible, kiddo.”  He’d paid off the department of transportation for that little miracle.  As long as Naruto went around giving everyone a fake name, he could never be traced.

“Okay…” Naruto said, a little weirded out.  “And who, exactly, are the angels that watch me whenever I leave the house?”

“Have you ever seen _Charlie’s Angels_?” Jiraiya asked as a prelude to his explanation.  Naruto rolled his eyes and nodded.  Of course, Jiraiya had already known this; they’d watched it together.  “Well, TenTen, Hinata, and Ino are Jiraiya’s Angels.  They keep an eye on you for me, and if your safety is ever threatened, they’re always nearby to defend you.”

“Oh yeah?”  Naruto goaded the man as he tried to lighten the mood a little.  “And who is Bosley?”

“Kiba, of course,” his guardian responded without missing a beat.  Naruto hoped that Jiraiya didn’t run his organization like _Charlie’s Angels_ , but he wouldn’t put it past the man either.

“I’ve never felt so emasculated in my life,” Naruto grumbled under his breath.  “So, what about Kiba watching for hits?  How does he do that?”

“Kiba runs the drug trafficking ring,” Jiraiya explained.  “Which puts him in the perfect position to learn about everything going on in the streets.  There’s much more to selling drugs than simply selling the drugs.”

“Well, it seems your master informant fucked up, because he missed the hit that has apparently been placed on my head,” Naruto spat, making sure to keep his voice under control.

Jiraiya had just opened his mouth to respond when his phone started ringing.  Pulling it out of his pocket, he looked at the caller ID and smirked.  “Speak of the devil,” he said before answering the phone on speaker.  “You’re on speaker son, tell me what you’ve learned.”

“This is bad boss, there’s been a hit put on Menma.  Turns out this happened yesterday, is he with you?”

“Yes, he’s with me, and the angels are close by.  Let’s reconvene at the house in an hour and we can discuss the details then.”  He quickly hung up the phone before looking back and smiling.  “See?  I’ve got everything taken care of.”

 

☉☾

 

As they walked into the main room, Naruto noticed that everyone else was already there waiting for them.  He was still trying to wrap his mind around all the things he hadn’t known about his own fucking life until this point.  He smiled nervously at the group, not sure where this left them.  “Hey, guys,” he scratched at the back of his head nervously as he took a seat on the sectional close to the stairs.

Jiraiya clapped a hand on his shoulder.  “I don’t think so kiddo, you’re not just gonna bolt the second you hear something you don’t like or understand.  Go sit by the Sand Sibs, they’ll take care of you.”  Naruto grumbled as he obeyed the older man’s orders.  Once he was sitting as far away from the stairs as he could possibly get, Jiraiya began speaking.  “As you all know, we’ve had reason to believe that Naruto might become a target at some point.  It would appear as though that time has come.  Kiba, tell us what you know.”

Kiba stood up from his position on the other side of the Sand Siblings and went to stand next to Jiraiya.  Naruto found himself curious about what Kiba had learned and how he had learned it.  “The hit was put out yesterday.  As most of you know, Orochimaru’s organization, Oto no Kage, is constantly developing new drugs for its consumers.  A lot of my regulars will come to me for typical street drugs, but they also enjoy Orochimaru’s synthetic substances.  One of my regulars told me today about the hit.  Here’s the kicker though, there’s already someone assigned to the hit, which is unusual.  Usually the hit gets put out and is picked up on first-come first-serve basis,” he looked at Naruto, knowing that he didn’t have the knowledge of how the yakuza factions worked.  “The fact that it was assigned, and to only one person at that, means that it’s an initiation mission.”

“He only assigned _one_ person to Naruto?  Who the fuck does he think he is?  Naruto is flanked by our members constantly,” Temari spat, infuriated that they’d been considered less than a threat.

Kiba shrugged.  “Like I said, it _is_ an initiation mission and Naruto _isn’t_ a yakuza member.  In theory, he’s an easy target if we aren’t around or are incapacitated.  Orochimaru probably doesn't know anything about the precautions we’ve taken to ensure Naruto’s safety.  Knowing how he works, he probably figured that if this prospect couldn’t take out some measly civilian alone, then he wasn’t worth his time.”

“Yeah, he was always like that,” Jiraiya added quietly.  “He gets overconfident and doesn’t do all his research, which is to our advantage.  If he underestimates Naruto, and us, then we can take him by surprise.  Angels, have you noticed anyone following him around?”

Hinata shook her head carefully.  “Not one, and I never let him out my sight per your orders.  TenTen’s even been getting restless, daring someone to attack him while we’re around.”

Jiraiya shot TenTen an amused look and her eyes widened in faux innocence.  “What?” she squealed, “I carry all these toys around, but there’s no one to play with!”

Ino rolled her eyes at her best friends.  “All the looks he receives when he’s in public are those of admiration.  No one has been tracking him.”

“So that means there really is only one person out looking for him.  And it’s not so premeditated that they’ve spent time doing their research.  Of course if they had, I know you girls would have stepped in.  Do you know who it is that was assigned the hit, Kiba?”

“Not at all,” the brunet shook his head.  “My client didn’t have  _that_ much information, he just said that there was a hit put on the young one,” he nodded to Naruto, signifying that meant him.  “It was clear that the hit was only announced to keep Orochimaru informed on Naruto’s whereabouts and make his prospect’s mission easier.”

“That’s okay,” Jiraiya said grimly, “Naruto does.”

Everyone turned to look at Naruto wearing a variety of expressions including shock, fear, and suspicion.  “Is that who you were talking to last night in your room?” Gaara asked the blond sitting next to him.

Naruto tensed uncomfortably.  He should have known that Gaara wouldn’t have been fooled by that bullshit story of waking up to talk to himself.  It was worth a shot, though.

“Yes,” Naruto admitted as he hung his head in shame.  He didn’t lie to Gaara because he wanted to, but how could you explain away something that you didn’t understand yourself?  The fact that Sasuke’s goal was to assassinate him just made it that much worse.  “He’s an old friend from when I lived in Konoha, Uchiha Sasuke.”

Everyone in the room tensed at the name and it didn’t go unnoticed by Naruto.  He remembered Jiraiya tensing earlier when he’d brought up Sasuke’s name in the strip club.  What the fuck was everyone’s problem?  “Okay, why does everyone react like that whenever I mention Sasuke’s name?  What’s the fucking problem?”

Everyone looked around at one another, waiting for someone to finally speak up.  Kiba laughed as he ran a hand through his short hair.  “You guys are pussies.  Everyone knows the name Uchiha, and by everyone, I mean _everyone_.  The Uchihas run a top notch business and are probably set for like, millennia.  Even in the business world, Uchiha Fugaku is known for being ruthless,” he explained to Naruto.

“It’s no secret that he’s aligned himself with Orochimaru, either,” Hinata began.  “It’s common knowledge in the underground, making him a pretty feared man.  Not only that, but his ties to Konoha, Otogakure, and Tokyo make his name pretty powerful in a significant portion of Japan.”

“Wait, if he works with Orochimaru in Otogakure, how is he connected to Konoha and Tokyo?” Naruto asked, unfamiliar with the details of his friend’s family situation.

“He still has family in Konoha,” Ino explained calmly.  “In fact, the majority of those bearing the Uchiha name still reside in Konoha.  Only the head family moved when the business took off.  Since it’s headquartered in Tokyo, _they_ moved to Tokyo.  To my understanding though, Fugaku spends most of his time in Otogakure, as one under Orochimaru does.”

Naruto was flabbergasted.  “How do you guys know all this stuff?”

“After you were adopted by Jiraiya, we did thorough background checks on every yakuza organization in Japan,” Kiba explained.  “We followed any red flags we found, knowing that we couldn’t be too careful in ensuring your safety.”

“Red flags?” Naruto asked, knowing that Kiba was talking about suspicious activity, but what even constituted being suspicious in the yakuza?  “Like what?”

“The biggest red flag we came across was the disappearance of Uchiha Fugaku’s eldest son.”  Naruto’s face paled at the information that Kiba provided him with.  Itachi had disappeared?  Is that why Sasuke had reacted negatively when he asked about him?  He hoped for Sasuke that Itachi was okay.  “With their ties to Konoha and their move to Tokyo shortly after yours, it was highly suspicious.  Itachi was never inducted into Orochimaru’s organization though,” Kiba shrugged.  “Needless to say, our organization has been keeping an eye on Orochimaru for the past 5 years.”

“ _We’ve_ been keeping an eye on Orochimaru for the past 5 years,” Temari corrected, motioning to herself and her brothers.  “ _Your_ job was information and the angels were assigned to Naruto.  The three of us have been keeping close tabs on Orochimaru’s dealings and here we are.  Apparently we followed the right trail when we flagged Orochimaru as the primary threat.”

“Wow…” Naruto almost whispered, astounded by the amount of effort put forth by everyone for his protection.

“I told you, kid.  We’d all kill for you and not even bat an eye,” Jiraiya reaffirmed.  “You’re family and we protect our kin here.”

“If I may interrupt,” TenTen spoke up.  “Now Uchiha knows where Naruto lives, down to his bedroom, in fact.  As much as I’d love to stay up all night watching blondie sleep- just waiting for the opportunity to throw a dagger at the bastard trying to take _my_ little brother out- I don’t know if I can really manage it for an extended period of time.”

“We could always work in shifts,” Ino explained sensibly as she flipped her hair over her shoulder.  “Even if that would make our manpower dwindle for a bit.  I think we can make the sacrifice for Naruto.”

“If I may interject,” Gaara spoke up.  He sounded angry or possessed, but then, he always sounded that way.  “It’s not like I sleep at night, anyway.  Let me take Uchiha out when he comes by again.”

Naruto laughed nervously, both flattered and a little worried.  “With all due respect guys, and I _do_ appreciate the effort, isn’t there a way we can do this _without_ hurting Sasuke?”

“Not really,” Kankurō spoke up for the first time during their meeting.  “He’s targeting you because there’s a hit on your head.  The only way to remove a target is to remove the hit, and since he’s specifically assigned to it _alone_ , the hit _should_ disappear with his existence.”

Naruto took a moment to get past the fact that Kankurō literally just discussed murdering someone as if he were doing taxes or shopping for groceries.  Once he’d somewhat come to terms with it, he spoke up again.  “Guys, Sasuke could be in danger.  If Itachi disappeared, Sasuke could too, and I don’t want that to happen to Sasuke.  I don’t want him dead either, he’s my friend.”

“Naruto,” Hinata tried to reason with him calmly.  “He’s trying to kill you.  It would literally be for your own safety and it’s your best chance of survival.”

“I don’t know about that,” Naruto muttered.  “If he were actively trying to kill me, wouldn’t he have done it already?  He came in my room last night while I was _sleeping_ .  If he wanted me dead, I wouldn’t be here.  Besides, there’s no guarantee that removing Sasuke from the picture would remove the hit.  Maybe Orochimaru is targetting me for some _actual_ reason, like living amongst other yakuza members in a rival yakuza faction?”

Jiraiya let out a chuckle despite himself.  “I never would have thought that you of all people would bring up a logical argument such as that.  I guess you really are growing up.  Way to make me proud, kid.  As for our situation, I believe I might have an alternative solution.  Let me get in touch with Tsunade and I’ll see what kind of strings I can pull.”

 

☉ **Smut** ☾

 

_Sasuke ran his hands through the thick blond hair as he felt the other man’s lips wrapped tightly around his cock.  Apparently that pretty mouth of his had much better uses than being loud and obnoxious.  Sasuke was beginning to think that if that mouth was capable of this, he might even be able to tolerate its boisterous tendencies.  He felt an appreciative hum from his companion and it was almost his undoing as the vibrations sent a shudder throughout his entire body.  Right now he wanted nothing more than to cum down the man’s throat and watch him revel in the taste of Sasuke.  Moments before Sasuke’s release though, the younger man had pulled away with a pop and Sasuke actually felt himself groan in frustration._

_“Not yet,” he purred in Sasuke’s ear, leaning back so that their eyes could meet.  Sasuke could sense the desire present in those lustrous sapphires and almost came on the spot.  He basked in the knowledge that the blond man wanted this as much as he did.  He was never going to let him escape again._

_The man pushed Sasuke onto his back as he began to prep himself, the sight of it making Sasuke’s cock pulse violently.  He watched those alluring eyes slowly travel down his body and take note of the precum that was leaking from his throbbing appendage.  “Just wait...a little longer,” the blond panted out, his voice heavy with lust.  Sasuke had to wrap his hand tightly around the base of his cock in order to stave off his impending orgasm._

_His partner ripped open a condom that Sasuke hadn’t even seen him grab and rolled it over the raven-haired man's throbbing erection before carefully lowering himself onto it, until Sasuke was fully enveloped by him.  Sasuke reached out frantically, putting a death grip on the other’s hips to prevent him from moving.  He knew if he didn’t take a moment to get himself together, this would all be over, ruining it for them both._

_The man smirked above him, knowing he was going to have fun with this one.  He would wait for Sasuke to tell him he could start moving, but after that, the raven-haired man would be at his mercy.  Sasuke let out a sigh after gathering his bearings to the best of his ability.  “Okay,” he said quietly, “go ahead.”_

_A devious smile flashed across the pretty face of the tanned god as he slowly rolled his hips on top of Sasuke, making sure to stimulate his own prostate in the process.  “Sasuke,” he cooed, loving the way Sasuke's eyes had rolled back into his head as he slowly tortured him, keeping his orgasm just out of reach._

_Sasuke tried to thrust up into the blond, desperate for release, but found his hips being held down by the impressively strong arms of the man.  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Sasuke,” he purred.  “You might find the consequences more than a little...frustrating.”  The half-lidded eyes of the man were oozing with lust, and seeing this man in a such a state had Sasuke on the verge of begging._

_Sasuke’s face clearly displayed his desperation, an uncommon feature for the Uchiha, so the blond decided that he’d tortured him enough for now.  He would have plenty of time for that later, after all.  He finally picked up the pace, loving the feeling of Sasuke’s cock buried deep inside him, quickly bringing himself to completion before his rival._

_Sasuke watched in fascination as his lover shot his seed all over his pale chest.  The combination of the erotic sight, the sounds of the other man’s pleasure, and the tight heat closing around him as the other came had him almost tasting the sweet fruit of his imminent release._

“Naruto!” he screamed as his orgasm erupted from him, his eyes shooting open as he realized that he wasn’t where he thought he was at all.  He looked around, realizing that he was in his room at his father’s condo.  He panted, trying to get his breathing under control, noting that he was covered in his own sweat and cum.  Sasuke never had sex dreams, and after that….he began wondering if he’d been missing out those years.  He shut his eyes as he took a deep breath, unsure of how to deal with the fact that he was now wanting to experience his dream in reality.

 

☉☾

 

Fugaku was sitting in the living room on the spotless white couch as he flipped through the newspaper.  He thought that it was odd that Sasuke was still asleep at two in the afternoon, but he did have a long night, so he’d decided to let him sleep.

“Naruto!” he heard his son scream from his room.  He sighed, mildly annoyed.  At least he knew that Sasuke was awake now.  Apparently his son had just awoken from a nightmare.  Being assigned to kill one of your oldest friends could have some fairly traumatic effects on one’s psyche.

He decided that he’d give Sasuke some time and let him emerge on his own.  It was obvious that he was having difficulties coming to terms with what was expected of him.  It was going to get worse before it got better, but he knew Sasuke would come to terms with it eventually.

 

☉☾

 

Sasuke dressed himself in all black once again as he prepared to head out to find Naruto.  He was still trying to come to terms with his mission and the fact that he actually _knew_ his target.  Not only that, but they had been close at a point in time.  They had been rivals, friends, maybe even best friends.  

They had gone through so much together.  All of Naruto’s academic struggles, their constant competitions in athletics, their first kiss, and the death of Naruto’s parents.  That was the event that had changed it all for them.

After Naruto’s parents died, he moved away, presumably to Tokyo.  Sasuke hadn’t even known it was coming.  He had no chance to say goodbye.  Now that he thought about it, he wasn’t sure what he’d have done, given the chance.  It would have been nice to see the blond one last time before he left, though.

That was the one benefit to this mission.  He’d gotten to see Naruto again.  Even if he was supposed to kill him, he was reunited with someone that he’d missed more than he realized.  Even now he found himself missing his old rival.  If he actually followed through with the mission and did kill Naruto, at least he would have that one last chance to see him, the ability to say goodbye, one last chance of a memory before he disappeared forever.  If he killed Naruto, he would be the last one to see him alive.  He had to push out the mental image of holding Naruto as he took his last breaths.  There would be time to mourn later, right now he had to stay focused.

He grabbed his katana as he quietly let himself out of his father’s condo.  Even now, he wasn’t sure if he was planning on killing Naruto, fucking him, or some horrific combination of the two.  An image of Naruto riding him as he slashed his throat flashed into his head, almost causing him to trip over his own feet.  Uchihas were well-renowned for their grace and Sasuke was no exception, but the gruesome image was almost too much for him to handle.

He managed to recompose himself as he calmly made his way to his destination.  He would figure out what he was going to do once he saw Naruto again, but for now his primary mission was to find the blond.

 

☉☾

 

Sasuke found himself situated in the same spot that he had been at the night before as he monitored Jiraiya’s estate.  After all the lights had gone off, he would wait another 2 hours before he actually made his move.

It was boring, the waiting.  He had brought along a deck of cards to try to entertain himself, but became frustrated fairly early on and set them on fire instead.  Watching the cards go up in flames only occupied a small amount of time, however, and he found himself trying to kill time some other way.  It’s not like he had his phone on him, because that would have been stupid of him.  He found himself indulging in activities such as counting the lines on the road, counting the cars on the road, and trying to memorize license plate numbers.  It’s not like he could have even brought a book with him to read while it was pitch black outside, so he tried not to beat himself up about it.

What he really needed was a distraction.  He had two hours to kill before he made his move and a distraction would have been _really_ nice.  He could spend his time thinking, but his thoughts weren’t pleasant, so he was forced to push them away.

He still hadn’t decided if he was going to kill Naruto or run away with him.  He wasn’t even sure the latter was an option, but if it was...he was still unsure.  The thoughts of what may or may not happen once he entered that room made his heart level skyrocket and gave him major anxiety.  He didn’t _want_ to kill Naruto, but he was expected to; so what, exactly, was he going to do?

For no other reason than distracting himself from his thoughts, he found himself relieved once the two hours had passed.  He approached the window the same way he had the night before, hoping that Naruto hadn’t actually wised up and locked it this time.

When he pushed on it and it gave way, he breathed a sigh of relief.  If Naruto had decided to lock his window after last night, he wasn’t sure how he would get to him again.  He quietly stepped into the room, approaching the bed.  He wanted to admire the blond for a moment before he made his decision, perhaps it would make it easier.

Once he’d made it to the bed, he noticed that it was empty.  The light came on and in the doorway stood a redheaded male with green eyes and a kanji tattoo above his left eye.  When he spoke, Sasuke thought his voice sounded as if he were possessed by a demon.  “Looking for someone?”

 

☉☾

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Other Notes  
> *Fugaku Getting Head In Front Of His Son: Awkward? Definitely, but it helps emphasize how uncomfortable Sasuke feels around his father and how oblivious Fugaku is to his son's situation.
> 
> **Transgendered Haku: I'm not suggesting that this is an accurate representation of transgendered individuals or bisexuals, this is just how I imagine Jiraiya would feel about the situation.
> 
> ***Naruto's Parents' Death: More on this later in the fic.
> 
> ****Kage Organizations: Kage=Shadow. The idea was shadow=darkness=dark side of a city, therefore it is generally understood that a Kage organization is a yakuza faction.
> 
>  
> 
> Coming Up  
> The next chapter is Contingency Plan, and you'll find out where Naruto is, how Sasuke reacts to the blond's disappearance, and how Tsunade is involved in all this.
> 
> Thanks for reading guys, and don't forget to tell me what you think!


	4. Contingency Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto's disappeared, there's been a misunderstanding between Jiraiya and Tsunade, and Sasuke confronts the man in front of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4 is here! Editing took longer than I expected it to, but it's finally ready. Work has been killing me lately and I feel like I have no time, especially when I try to do a million things at once, so I appreciate your patience. Anyway, I hope you guys like it, and I have no idea when the next chapter will be ready (sorry, guys).
> 
> What To Expect: This chapter starts *before* Sasuke returns to Naruto's room, so you'll get backstory on why Naruto isn't there. Part of Tsunade's backstory will come to light this chapter as well; she's a little more invested in Jiraiya's dealings than most former friends would be. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of Sasuke this chapter, but there will plenty of Sasuke later on, I promise.

“Good news kiddo, I just got off the phone with Tsunade.  You’re gonna go live with her in Konoha,” Jiraiya said proudly to the young man in front of him.  Right after their little meeting had ended, Jiraiya disappeared into his office to make a phone call to his friend.  Naruto had been waiting for him for over an hour in the main room, wanting to know what Jiraiya had up his sleeve.  Now that he knew, he wasn’t quite sure how he felt about it.

“I don’t know if I’m ready to go back to Konoha,” Naruto admitted quietly.  He hadn’t returned to Konoha since his parents died and he didn’t want to think about what kind of memories he might have to deal with when he returned.  

It wasn’t just about that, though.  If he was being completely honest with himself, he wanted to see Sasuke again.  He knew that wouldn’t happen if he returned to Konoha; it might not even happen if he stayed here.  He at least had a better chance of seeing the man again if he stayed here, though.

“Naruto,” Jiraiya sighed as he took a seat next to the blond.  “I know it’s hard and you don’t want to remember what happened, but this is your _best_ chance of survival.  This is for your own safety.  It’s only temporary, until we can devise a better plan or the threat disappears, but please Naruto.  I don’t want anything to happen to you kiddo, especially not because of me.”

Naruto looked up into the compassionate eyes of his guardian, knowing his words were nothing less than the truth.  He figured after everything that Jiraiya had done for him and all the trouble he’d gone through to keep Naruto safe, the least he could do was comply with the request.  “Yeah, okay,” he agreed, still oddly quiet.  It went against his nature to be quiet, but the idea of him going into hiding so his oldest friend couldn’t kill him felt even more unnatural.

“That’s my boy,” Jiraiya smiled as he ruffled Naruto’s hair.  “Always a pain in my ass, but a good kid nonetheless.  Tsunade will take care of you.  We both know that, that’s why I chose her, after all.”

“I know, dad,” Naruto agreed.  Even though they were only required to refer to Jiraiya as their father in public, Naruto would resort to the term when he was feeling particularly sentimental.  Right now was obviously one of those times, as he was essentially being shipped back to the past in an attempt to hide from the present.

“Go ahead and get a bag together.  Pack light, you don’t want to bring attention to yourself.  Make it a backpack, if you can.  We’ll pull a car up into the garage and the angels will drive you.  Use Tsunade’s phone to call me when you get there, I want to make sure that you’re alright.”

“Sure thing, perv,” Naruto replied, trying to get back into his groove.  He knew he didn’t have much of a choice in the matter, so he would try to face it with as much optimism as he could muster.  He quickly grabbed a few things together, trying to keep his supplies to a minimum.  He figured he could wear the clothes on his back for quite some time, really only needing to bring along things such as underwear and his toothbrush.

Once he’d finished packing up, he turned to look around at the place that had become his home.  It was weird to think that he’d lived here for so long without knowing what was going on, but he was still sad to be leaving it.  Yakuza or not, the people who resided in this house were his family and he would miss them.  He quietly stepped into the garage, hoping that he would be back before too long.

 

☉☾

 

It was a sunny day in Konoha, just like the day that Naruto had left 5 years earlier.  He used to consider the Sun as a sign of hope, but since that day, he hadn’t been so sure.

“We were instructed to drop you off in front of the hospital,” Hinata- who was sitting next to Naruto in the back seat- explained to him.  “Tsunade owns it and she’ll be expecting you, so you should be able to tell the receptionist that you have an appointment with her.”

“Yeah, okay.”  Naruto hadn’t said much of anything during the three-hour drive, which was highly unusual for him.  The girls knew that he was going through a lot, but they wanted to try to make him feel better.  Seeing their little brother in such a depressive state had started to take a toll on them.

“Hey, don’t be so gloomy,” TenTen called from the driver’s seat.  The black Honda CR-V was her car, so she had insisted on driving it.  “It’s not like we’re kicking you to the curb!  You’ll always be our little brother, and we’ll always look out for you.  Just think of this as a forced vacation.  Man, you’re lucky.  I wish I could take a vacation,” she laughed lightheartedly.

“TenTen’s right,” Ino agreed.  “You’ll be back in Tokyo in no time, just let us tie up a few loose ends first, okay?”

Hinata could tell that something else was going through Naruto’s head, so she tried to comfort him, knowing what had happened nearby just a few years earlier.  “Hey, we’re all from Konoha too, and we all had our own reasons for leaving.  TenTen even dropped her surname because of it.  We’re only leaving you here for your safety, really.  It’s hard enough for us as is, we wouldn’t be able to do it if we didn’t believe that you were seriously in danger.”

“I know, I’m sorry.  I’m still just...coming to terms with everything I guess,” Naruto said, hanging his head.  He was so tired of thinking, his brain hurt.  He had learned too much information in the past 24 hours, and he wasn’t even sure if he could believe it all.  He needed time alone to think, but first he needed to clear his head.  Right now, he just wanted to forget about it all; the whole thing was giving him a migraine.

“Well, I hate to kick you out, but we’re here,” TenTen interrupted his thoughts, reaching into her sock.  “But here,” she said, handing him a black pocket knife.  “It’s a folding tanto, I always keep it on me.  I want you to have it...just in case.  Danzo heads the Konoha no Kage faction and he lays pretty low, but you don’t want to walk around defenseless.  Just...think of it as a going away present, but I want it back when you return to Tokyo, okay?”

“Wait,” Naruto said, taking the knife from her.  “If Danzo is a threat, then why am I here?”

Ino rolled her eyes.  “Don’t listen to TenTen, she just wants an excuse to give you something to remember her by without sounding sappy.  Danzo _isn’t_ a threat.  Like she said, he lays low.  You probably won’t even see any of his people.”

“He’s that discreet?” Naruto asked dubiously.  From what he knew about Jiraiya, yakuza members were pretty clear cut.   _He_ hadn’t picked up on it because he'd been living a lie, but anyone else would have noticed it easily.

“Pretty much,” Hinata agreed.  “My father had business dealings with him for years and I never actually saw the man’s face.  In fact, I only even heard his voice once.  He’s antisocial, which is best for us.  You wouldn’t be a target of his anyway; you don’t have Jiraiya’s mark and you’re a civilian that has nothing to do with him.  Don’t let TenTen get you worked up, she’s just being sentimental.”

“Well, okay,” Naruto shrugged.  He decided that if the professionals felt at ease, then he should too.  After all, _they_ knew what they were talking about and he had just been introduced to this world today.  “I guess I’ll see you guys...next time?”

“Good luck!” they called after him before he shut the door as they smiled happily at a successful mission.  They waited for him to enter the building safely before they drove away.

After they had driven away, a man dressed in all brown lifted himself away from the tree that he had been leaning against.  Danzo-sama would surely be interested in this new development.

 

☉☾

 

“Baa-chan!”* Naruto smiled excitedly as he ran up to the blonde woman with two ponytails and hugged her.  “I’ve missed you!  It feels like years since I last saw you!”  He hadn’t _wanted_ to go live with her, but now that he was in her presence, he was just happy to see her again.

Tsunade smiled, despite the unwelcome nickname that the boy had always used for her.  It hadn’t been as long as he suggested, but he had the ability to light up a room and she was always happy to see him.  “It’s been a week, brat,” she smacked him lightly on the back of his head.  “Have you been keeping up with your health?”

“Uh…” the teen trailed off, fully aware that he hadn’t.  He was teenager after all, he didn’t eat healthily, but he always worked out in the dojo in his spare time.  So really, it just depended on your definition of the word _healthy_.

“Yeah, I’m not surprised,” she scoffed.  Naruto had never been one to take care of his body outside of exercise.  She usually didn’t hassle him for it because he was a teenager, and that was just the nature of teenagers.  One day though, it was going to catch up to him, and she didn’t want him to suffer because of it.

“So, when are you going to take me home?  I’m exhausted and my brain hurts.  I can’t wait to take a long, hot shower and pass out for twelve hours.”  Naruto rubbed his eyes before he heard his stomach rumble.  He groaned in response.  “And I guess at some point, I should add eating to that schedule,” he grumbled.

“Indeed,” Tsunade acknowledged, raising an eyebrow.  “Unfortunately for you, that has nothing to do with me.”  She watched carefully as the blond’s face fell.  Of course.  Jiraiya hadn’t been willing to listen to her reasoning of not being able to house Naruto due to her busy work schedule, so when she agreed to work something out, he had assumed that she was taking Naruto in.  “I’m sorry kiddo, I can’t.  I’m absolutely swamped right now.  Luckily, one of my friends agreed to house you.”  She motioned over to one of the people sitting in the waiting room behind Naruto.

A man with long-brown hair that was pulled into a ponytail and a scar across his face came over to introduce himself.  “Hello,” he greeted, bowing slightly.  “I’m Umino Iruka.  You must be Naruto.”

“Yes,” Naruto bowed in return, unsure of how he felt about living in a stranger’s house.  “Nice to meet you.”  He looked over at Tsunade who shot him a reassuring smile.  If she trusted the man, he couldn’t be that bad, right?

“Thank you for doing this for me, Iruka, it really means a lot.” Tsunade could see the hesitation in Naruto’s eyes, so she tried to make him as comfortable as she could.  “Naruto, I’ve known Iruka for years and he’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever known.  I know this all new to you, but I’m sure the two of you will get along just fine.  If either of you has any problem at all, you know you can call me and we can adjust our arrangements.  Just, give it a shot, okay?”

“Okay, baa-chan,” he said quietly.  He was so ready for this day to be over.  It just kept getting weirder and weirder and he knew- if he was asleep- it couldn’t continue its path into absurdity.  At least if it got worse once he woke up tomorrow, it would be a different day.  “I’ve gotta take a piss,” Naruto dismissed himself for a moment so he could be alone.  He still wasn’t entirely comfortable with the idea of relying on a stranger, so he wanted to take a moment to think to himself. Deep down, though, he knew that Tsunade had good judgement and wouldn’t throw him under the bus.  Once he’d resolved his internal struggle, he returned to where Tsunade and Iruka were waiting on him.

“Alright,” Naruto sighed, finally ready to face his new reality.  “I’m ready now.”  Iruka placed a hand on Naruto’s shoulder, determined to protect the boy from whatever hunted him.

Tsunade watched as Naruto followed Iruka out the revolving doors.  She felt bad for leaving Naruto in the hands of a stranger, but he would be alright.  Iruka had a knack for blending in and she was counting on that.  She decided that she would call them in the morning to see how they were doing, but until then, she had another friend to call.

 

☉☾

 

_When he pushed on it and it gave way, he let out a breath of relief.  If Naruto had decided to lock his window after last night, he wasn’t sure how he would get to him again.  He quietly stepped into the room, approaching the bed.  He wanted to admire the blond for a moment before he made his decision, perhaps it would make it easier._

_Once he’d made it to the bed, he noticed that it was empty.  The light came on and in the doorway stood a redheaded male with green eyes and a kanji tattoo above his left eye.  When he spoke, Sasuke thought his voice sounded as if he were possessed by a demon.  “Looking for someone?”_

“Where’s Naruto?” Sasuke asked the redhead, completely ignoring the bloodlust that was coming off the man in waves.  Sasuke wasn’t concerned with this man, his only objective was Naruto.

“Not here,” Gaara said simply.  He assumed that this was the esteemed Uchiha that Naruto was so determined to trust.  He was glad that they had decided to send him to Konoha.  After all, his supposed friend had returned, and he didn’t think an Uchiha would dare fail the same mission twice.

Sasuke was irritated that this punk was standing in between him and Naruto.  Who the fuck did he think he was, anyway?  “I can see that,” he said, keeping his tone in check.  He wasn’t here to start a fight after all; his only business was with Naruto.

“What’s your business with Naruto?”  Gaara stayed firm.  He wasn’t going to tell the Uchiha where Naruto was, but he didn’t mind playing his little game along the way.  He wanted the man to try to manipulate him, it’s not like it would work anyway.

“My business with Naruto is between me and Naruto,” he said, clenching his teeth in frustration.  He wasn’t going to tell this guy what he planned to do, hell, _he_ wasn’t even sure at this point.  One thing was certain though, he needed to _see_ Naruto, wherever he was.

“And Naruto’s location is between me and Naruto,” Gaara responded simply.  He was starting to enjoy this little game.  Sasuke was becoming frustrated and he still had the upper hand.

Sasuke suppressed the urge to strangle the man in front of him.  “I just need to see him.  Please.”  Sasuke didn’t normally ask for anything, but he was becoming desperate.  He wasn’t sure what he would do if he didn’t get to see Naruto.  He’d probably be forced to report his disappearance to Orochimaru.

“I’ll make a deal with you, Uchiha,” Gaara said with a level voice, his eyes staring directly into Sasuke’s.  “Leave now and I won’t ruin your good name.”  Sasuke’s eyes stayed trained on his, unwavering, so he decided to continue.  “After all, what would your father think if you were to sully the Uchiha name?”

When Sasuke tensed, Gaara knew he’d won.  He knew the price of power and it definitely had its downfalls.  “Fine,” Sasuke clenched his fists in frustration.  He slowly made his way to the window, refusing to take his eyes off the redheaded man in front of him.

Once he’d made it out of view of the estate, Sasuke slammed his fist into the nearest wall.  He was going to find Naruto.  He desperately needed to see the blond again.

 

☉☾

 

“No, I told you I would work something out, not that I would house him myself,” Tsunade told her long-time friend over the phone as she sat at her work desk covered in forms.  She had known the second Naruto asked when they were going home that Jiraiya hadn’t understood her at all.

“When you said you would figure something out, I thought you meant you’d figure something out with work.”  She listened to Jiraiya’s reasoning silently as she contemplated banging her head on the desk.

“I told you I couldn’t house him because I have too much work to do, but that I would work something out,” she reiterated.  Jiraiya was stubborn and often heard what he wanted to hear, but she was going to make sure she was heard this time.

“So where is he then?  Are you sure he’s safe?  How are you supposed to keep an eye on him if he’s not even with you?”  Jiraiya shot question after question at her and she made a mental note of each of them so she could answer appropriately.

“He is staying with an old friend of mine, I know he’s safe because my friend is one of the kindest and gentlest people I know, and they both have my personal number so that they can reach me if something happens,” she explained, hoping her answers would calm her obviously high-strung friend.  She knew he was worried about Naruto, but he needed to trust her.  They had known each other far too long for this.

“Is work really the only reason, Tsunade?”  She felt herself tense as he hit the nail on the head.  She remained silent as she knew he would continue.  “What’s the real reason you didn’t want to house Naruto?”

“It’s not something I want to discuss over the phone.  If you want to know so badly, why don’t you take me out for coffee sometime?  Until then, let me handle the situation with Naruto.  I know what I’m doing Jiraiya, I’ve been doing this for a long time,” she sighed, hanging up the phone.

She didn’t mind helping out her friend, but sometimes she wished that she had never gotten involved in the first place.  Perhaps she should have left her friends alone when they started to grow apart.

 

☉☾

 

_“If you don’t mind me asking, what use could you have for all these vials and needles?”  It was a surprisingly sunny day in typically gloomy Otogakure.  Tsunade was holding up a hand to shield her eyes from the Sun as she squinted, still obviously affected._

_Being the owner of a medical supply company and the head of a local hospital back in Konoha kept her fairly busy.  Making deliveries to Jiraiya and Orochimaru provided the only chance she had at seeing her old friends.  The fact that they controlled rival yakuza factions was irrelevant; they were both aware of her presence in their lives._

_She hadn’t wanted to get involved in the yakuza mess that her best friends had seemingly fallen victim to.  First Jiraiya was inducted to manage a prostitution ring, which was strangely suiting.  Tsunade supported the idea almost immediately, knowing Jiraiya wouldn’t receive a better opportunity.  Orochimaru’s reaction, however, had caused drama that she didn’t really want to have to deal with._

_After learning that Jiraiya had been introduced into the yakuza, Orochimaru went out of his way to find a yakuza faction of his own that he could join.  Tsunade was unable to support his decision since it was made in spite, which complicated their friendship.  Orochimaru could have been very successful in the business or political world, unlike Jiraiya.  He took his rivalry a little too far when he accepted an assassination mission to join Oto no Kage.  He literally killed a man just to show his friend up.  Tsunade couldn’t believe it._

_They had contacted her almost simultaneously as they both got promoted to oyabun within their organizations.  She had wanted to say no to both of them and remain completely neutral and as far away from the yakuza as she could manage.  The money was good, though, and she couldn’t refuse.  A part of her still despised herself for being a sell-out, but in such a competitive world she had felt backed into a corner._

_Jiraiya had wanted medical supplies to help his kids out when they needed medical attention.  Orochimaru's reasons, however, were more shrouded in mystery.  He had an acting physician within his organization, so Tsunade could never figure out why he needed her._

_Even after she had agreed, she made sure that they were both completely aware the she would be supplying to both of them.  It helped her remain neutral as a third-party supplier.  They had both agreed and promised that they wouldn’t drag her into their messy rivalry._

_“I’m working with compounds,” he said cryptically, but she understood.  Part of working in the medical field included understanding chemicals and how they reacted within the body.  Orochimaru had always been fairly interested in biology and chemistry, so it made sense.  She could almost be proud of the fact that he was creating synthetic drugs.  He wasn’t letting his intellect go to waste._

_“Yeah, okay.  Just don’t get yourself caught in a raid,” she joked lightly.  She knew Orochimaru could handle himself, he hadn’t been in the business this long because he’d gotten caught.  She turned to leave, having one more delivery to make._

_“You know me better than that, Tsunade,” he called out to her with a smile in his voice.  She knew that her relationship with her two best friends was a little strained now, with business getting in between them, but it was better than nothing.  She cherished the fact that she had anything at all._

 

☉☾

 

_“Tsunade!” Jiraiya called out to his friend, happy to see her again.  It had been awhile, since he only saw her when she made deliveries.  “I take it you’ve got the kits?”_

_“Of course,” she snickered.  “We can’t have your little yakuza brats getting infected wounds, now can we?  There should be plenty of gauze, antiseptic, and bandages in there, so try not to go through it all too quickly,” she lectured, knowing that her words held no meaning.  They would probably tear through the supply within a week._

_“Yeah right, you know we like to live dangerously here,” he joked with a wink.  “The ladies love bad guys if you catch my drift,” he nudged her with his elbow._

_“What a shame, I don’t see any bad guys here.  Or were you talking about Kiba?”  She laughed at her own joke, knowing that her friend could take a hit.  She missed being able to joke with Jiraiya on a daily basis, but they had grown up since then.  Now they were adults and had responsibilities to tend to first, even if his were significantly less...regulated._

_“Actually Tsu, I need to talk to you about something.”  Jiraiya’s tone had become quite serious and it made Tsunade tense up, as did the use of her old nickname.  Jiraiya hadn’t used that name since before he joined the yakuza, so she knew it was something serious._

_“Should I be worried?”  She raised an eyebrow, indicating that she was suspicious of him.  Usually he just came out and said whatever it was, but since he hadn’t, she was wondering if he had to brace himself just to approach the topic.  This must be pretty serious._

_“Did you hear about the Namikazes?” he asked solemnly.  She knew he was hurting.  Namikaze Minato and he had been close.  He practically raised Minato and became his son’s godfather.  What was their son’s name again...Nagato?_

_“Yeah, I heard.  How are you holding up?” she asked, genuinely concerned for her friend.  He might be an oyabun, but he still had feelings.  That was something that Tsunade had always respected about Jiraiya, his heart.  Orochimaru’s was often questionable, but Jiraiya’s was in the right place._

_“Well, their son is an orphan now, and I’ve officially adopted him, but I need your help,” he explained, looking away from her.  She knew that this had to be a difficult thing for Jiraiya to ask of her._

_“Jiraiya,” she began, choosing her words carefully, “I can’t help you raise a child.  I live in Konoha, after all.  If it were something else, maybe, but that’s asking a lot.”_

_“No,” he actually managed a small laugh.  “No, I don’t need help raising him.  I need help in general.  I want you to be his physician, outside of me, outside of Orochimaru.  This has nothing to do with our rivalry, I just want to take care of the boy.  I’ll pay you whatever you ask, just please, I don’t trust anyone else.”_

_Tsunade bit her nail nervously.  He really was asking a lot, but if he was willing to keep Orochimaru out of it, it really couldn’t hurt.  This wasn’t about their rivalry anyway, it was about another being entirely, an innocent one.  She could handle being the physician of some boy who had just lost his parents without feeling guilty.  “Okay,” she agreed, “I’ll take care of him.”_

_“That’s great,” Jiraiya was quiet, but he seemed honestly relieved.  She had a feeling he had more to say, so she stayed quiet as she watched him work up the nerve to speak again.  “I’d also like to ask you for one more favor, as his physician.”_

 

☉☾

 

The brunet walked down a set of stone stairs, his jet-black eyes gleaming with knowledge.  He knew that this information would be greatly appreciated and he was excited that he was the one who was delivering it.

He nodded to the guards that stood outside the wooden doorway.  They knew him personally, so they let him in without any questions asked.  Once inside the structure, he headed straight for the central room, the room in which his superior sat.

He entered the dark room quietly.  His superior didn’t appreciate much light or sound, so candles lined the stone walls and no one spoke a word unless asked to directly.**  He didn’t mind, though.  It was calming, after all, and it gave him plenty of time to think.  In a way, it kept him focused.

“Tenzo,” his superior spoke to him.  “Do you come to me with a purpose?”  His superior had only opened his eyes when he entered the room, probably wondering why someone was entering his chamber.

Tenzo knelt on the ground in front of other man.  “Danzo-sama, I have recently learned of a new development.  I would like to share this information with you.”  He was so proud of himself, he was nearly giddy that he had the opportunity to bring such a gift to his lord.

“Very well,” Danzo agreed.  “What is this information of which you speak?”  He stared down at Tenzo, trying to read any sort of body language that would tell him what to expect.  He found none.

“The Namikaze child has returned to Konoha,” he spoke firmly.  “He was dropped off at the hospital and left with Umino Iruka.  I have confirmed that he is, in fact, now staying with Umino Iruka, but I am unsure of how long he will remain there.”

A sadistic smile crept onto Danzo’s face.  What an interesting development indeed.  He would make sure that Tenzo was rewarded properly for his service.  “Well then,” he began in a tone that sent chills down Tenzo’s spine.  “We can’t have that, now can we?  Summon Kakashi and Kurenai.  We will discuss this further in their presence.”

 

☉☾

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Other Notes  
> *Baa-chan=Grandma  
>  **Danzo's Compound: I know I kind of described Orochimaru and Danzo's compounds similarly, but they *did* both reside underground in canon, so it's difficult to say their tastes differ at all.
> 
> Coming Up  
> In the next chapter, Alliance, you learn a little bit more about Danzo's organization, Sasuke plays a much bigger role, and Naruto and Sasuke are reunited, if only briefly.
> 
> Thanks for reading guys, and don't forget to tell me what you think!


	5. Alliance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An alliance between yakuza factions becomes useful as Sasuke receives information regarding his mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys, I am *super* sorry for how long this took to get out. I've been waiting on my beta-reader and they've been super busy later, so we didn't make any progress for awhile. Otherwise, I am *so* glad that I can finally get this out to you!
> 
> What To Expect: There are *no* flashbacks in this chapter and there's probably more background on Konoha no Kage and Oto no Kage than anything else. More yakuza stuff in general, I guess.
> 
> I hope you guys like the chapter and feedback is always encouraged and appreciated!

_“The Namikaze child has returned to Konoha,” he spoke firmly.  “He was dropped off at the hospital and left with Umino Iruka.  I have also confirmed that he is, in fact, now staying with Umino Iruka, but I am unsure of how long he will remain there.”_

_A sadistic smile crept onto Danzo’s face.  What an interesting new development indeed.  He would make sure that Tenzo was rewarded properly for his service.  “Well then,” he began in a tone that sent shivers down Tenzo’s spine.  “We can’t have that, now can we?  Summon Kakashi and Kurenai.  We will discuss this further in their presence.”_

“Yes, Danzo-sama,” Tenzo agreed as he dismissed himself to go fetch the two elite assassins, who he knew stayed within the compound unless they were on a mission.

As he made his way down the stone hallway, he contemplated the building’s design.  He’d never actually thought about the structure, having lived within its walls for practically his entire life.  Now that he noticed it though, it was comparable to a castle.  Perhaps an edo-era castle, seeing as it was built primarily of stone.  He wondered if the other yakuza factions had bases built in a similar fashion.

Danzo-sama’s compound was laid out to keep those performing similar jobs together.  There was an assassin wing, a substance wing, and an espionage wing.  Konoha no Kage’s human trafficking division was managed at a separate facility.  As an informant, Tenzo resided in the espionage wing.

Tenzo approached Yūhi Kurenai’s door before knocking lightly. He was greeted with a smirk when she threw open the door, leaning against the frame as she waited for an explanation of his presence.  “Got anything good for me?” she asked, her blood-red lipstick perfectly matching her eyes as wavy black hair cascaded over her shoulders.

Kurenai was often likened to a rose within the organization.  She was stunningly beautiful, but those deep red eyes were sharp and she never missed a thing.  She was dressed in black and red activewear, quite fitting for an assassin on the go.  Her clothes were skin-tight and showed off an impressive amount of cleavage, her calling card for luring men toward her.  Kurenai was a master of deception, using her charm and good looks to manipulate men before she took them out.  Danzo-sama had recognized her abilities and gave her a high-ranking position within the organization almost immediately.  He knew better than to let a talent like that escape.

“Danzo-sama has summoned you and Kakashi,” Tenzo said simply as he bowed his head toward her.  It was always important to be respectful toward Kurenai.  Any sign of disrespect could easily land one in an unmarked grave.

“Of course,” she rolled her eyes before smiling at Tenzo and pushing herself off the door frame.  “Let’s get on with it then, we wouldn’t want to keep Danzo-sama waiting.”  Kurenai always pretended to be annoyed when she was summoned, but the truth was that she loved her job.  She loved luring men into a false sense of security, all because of her beauty.  It truly entertained her to watch how simplistic the male brain could be in action.  However, that was only reserved for her targets, of course.  She would be an idiot to try to manipulate the men she worked with, especially since she was greatly outnumbered as one of the few women in the organization.  Then again, that was beneficial since she had little competition.

Kurenai grabbed Tenzo’s hand, pulling him along to Kakashi’s room.  Danzo-sama didn’t allow displays of affection, but this was far from affectionate.  She was impatient by nature and excited to learn what her new mission would be.  She couldn’t wait to find out whose brain she would have the pleasure of fucking with next.

She didn’t bother knocking as she threw open Hatake Kakashi’s door with excitement.  “Kakashi,” she called into his room.  “We have an assignment, now get off your ass and let’s go!”

The white-haired man, who was lying on his bed, only looked away from his book to give Kurenai a blank look.  The black turtleneck shirt he always wore covered his mouth so that no one could read his lips. He wore a pair of black sweatpants to compliment the turtleneck and keep him comfortable at all times.  He was a fairly lazy man, so such a detail was important to him.

“I could have had someone in here,” he said calmly as he looked back to his book and turned the page.  It was obvious that he didn’t consider Kurenai’s presence as one that needed his immediate attention.  Tenzo squinted his eyes to better make out the title of the novel in Kakashi’s hand.  _Icha Icha Paradise_?  Tenzo remained silent, deciding that he really didn’t want to know.

Kurenai scoffed.  “Like who, your fucking palm?  Put the porn away and get off your ass so we can go meet Danzo-sama.  You of all people should know not to keep him waiting; you’ve been working under him far longer than I have.”

“And as someone who has been working under him for so long,” Kakashi responded, “I’m sure he understands that I have the utmost respect for him and will take my time making sure that I am ready to be in his presence.”  He waved his hand lazily at the beautiful woman as he turned another page.

“Lazy motherfucker,” she grumbled under her breath.  Why didn’t Kakashi understand that timeliness was crucial?  She always had this problem with Kakashi and it drove her nuts.

“Calm down Kurenai, just give me a couple of minutes, okay?”  Kurenai growled under her breath, but complied anyway.  It was better than waiting hours for the man to show up to Danzo-sama’s summons.

Kakashi didn’t necessarily have a specialty, but he was fairly well-rounded.  Hand-to-hand combat, wielding various weapons, and manipulation were all things he excelled at.  His one downfall was that he was lazy, but his usefulness far outweighed that minor- though mostly major- detail of his personality.

It was actually unusual that Danzo-sama was summoning both Kurenai and Kakashi together.  They were both skilled enough that they usually went on missions completely alone, without even needing backup.  Tenzo decided that whatever they were being summoned for must be serious.

“Okay,” Kakashi sighed as he emerged from his room 20 minutes later.  “Let’s go find out what Danzo-sama has planned for us.”

 

☉☾

 

“Kurenai, Kakashi,” Danzo greeted the assassins as Tenzo returned with them.  “How kind of you to join me.”  He was obviously a little upset that he was kept waiting, but he didn’t address the issue outright.  If anything, he probably gave them a fair amount of leeway due to their skill sets.

“Danzo-sama,” Kurenai greeted as the three members knelt down and bowed their heads.  “You have summoned us for a mission?”  Kurenai was not used to being assigned a partner, so she had become quite curious about what this mission could be.

“Indeed,” he agreed.  “Kurenai, Kakashi, you are my top assassins and I hold you both to the highest standards.  The mission I have for you today, however, is not an assassination.”  Knowing better than to move their heads, Kurenai and Kakashi glanced at each other from the corners of their eyes.  “Having said that, do you wish to proceed?”

Kurenai thought it over in her head before responding.  She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been assigned a mission that wasn’t an assassination.  What could this mission possibly entail that Danzo-sama called forth his top assassins, if it wasn’t an assassination?  Unable to shake her curiosity, she answered, knowing that there was only one way to learn the details of the mission.  “Yes, Danzo-sama.”

Kakashi was also curious about the abnormal request.  He hadn’t become one of the top assassins because he’d wanted to, though.  When he joined Danzo-sama’s faction, he was just looking for work.  He was actually highly qualified to perform any task that would have been asked of him; Danzo-sama just used him as an assassin since it was the hardest job to fill, especially with a skill level such as Kakashi’s.  If anything, the fact that this mission was not an assassination would make it much easier, meaning he wouldn’t have to work as hard.  It was a no-brainer from Kakashi’s end.  “Yes, Danzo-sama.”

“Very well then,” Danzo accepted.  “Tenzo, go ahead and brief Kakashi and Kurenai on the information you provided me with earlier.”

“Yes, Danzo-sama,” Tenzo agreed as he began to speak to Kakashi and Kurenai.  “The two of you might remember Namikaze Naruto, the boy who was orphaned 5 years ago, after the death of his parents here in Konoha?  It appears as though he has returned, although the length of his stay here is uncertain.  He is currently residing with Umino Iruka, whom he met up with at the hospital earlier this afternoon.”

The two elite assassins remained silent as they processed this information.  They had both remembered the boy, of course, given the circumstances of his parents’ death.  They silently awaited Danzo-sama’s instructions.

“As you are both aware,” Danzo began to speak after he waited a moment to gauge any resistance the assassins had to the information, “we have a bit of an alliance with Orochimaru-sama and his organization.  He has recently assigned one of his prospects the assassination of this particular boy as an induction into his organization.  Before I make any foolish decisions, I would like to discuss the situation with the two of you.”

Kakashi and Kurenai glanced at each other again, this time unsure of what Danzo-sama’s intentions were.  He never asked for anyone’s opinion on an issue, so why would he start now?

“Danzo-sama,” Kurenai spoke up in defense, “we support whatever decision you have made wholeheartedly, and we will accept any mission that you assign to us.  If we didn’t trust your judgement, we wouldn’t be here right now.”

Danzo smiled, pleased with the loyalty that was being shown to him.  “I understand that, Kurenai, but the truth is, I have yet to make a decision.  I would actually like to hear your opinions on the issue, given your positions as my top assassins and most valuable assets, along with Tenzo.”

The assassins glanced at each other, yet again, as if they were trying to agree on something.  This time, Kakashi spoke up on their behalf.  “Very well, Danzo-sama.  We would like to provide our services to you, however they may benefit you the most.”

Danzo cleared his throat as he prepared himself to have this discussion.  There were a lot of thoughts going through his head and he wanted to get them all out on the table.  “Very well, let’s begin.  Although we have an alliance with Orochimaru, I feel as if this is not our issue to meddle in.  How do you three feel about that?”

“Technically, no, it is not our issue at all Danzo-sama,” Tenzo agreed.  “It would seem that the main problem lies within the alliance itself.”

“That’s very true, Tenzo,” Danzo agreed.  “It isn’t our problem, but with the alliance, it might be considered our problem by association.  Even more so when you take into account the fact that this is an initiation mission.  Either way, we can be put at fault.  If we inform Orochimaru of Namikaze’s whereabouts, we may be interfering in a test he has set out for a recruit.  However, there is also the possibility that if he finds out we knew the target was here and said nothing, that we are responsible for a potential mission failure.”

“Danzo-sama, if I may,” Kakashi suggested.  “We are already allies with them.  In that scenario, should we not tell them of information that is important to their organization?  Is that not our responsibility?”

“A very good point, Kakashi.  It would be unwise to let this alliance fall through the cracks.  However, it would also be unwise to let the alliance be known to other organizations.”

“That’s what we’re here for,” Kurenai smiled.  “As your top assassins, we are beyond qualified to deliver a message stealthily.  Not to mention, upon receiving such a message, Orochimaru would then be indebted to you, Danzo-sama. “

“That’s a keen observation, Kurenai,” Danzo praised.  “It would seem that a decision has been made.  So, Kurenai, Kakashi, your mission is to deliver this message to Orochimaru-sama.”

“Yes, Danzo-sama,” they agreed in unison as he dismissed them.

 They made a plan to meet up at the entrance of the compound in an hour’s time, giving them enough time to prepare for their journey.  It wasn’t like they’d be travelling by foot, but they were aware that they couldn’t be too careful in completing this mission.

 

☉☾

 

“Orochimaru-sama,” Kurenai greeted as the two elite assassins kneeled in a bow toward Otogakure’s most infamous player.  They had successfully traveled to Otogakure without any incident, not that they had been expecting any, regardless.  They were assassins, after all, not messengers.

Orochimaru was suspicious upon their arrival.  He had not been expecting their company, so seeing Konoha no Kage’s top assassins within the walls of his compound was a little unnerving.  Surely his ally wouldn’t be trying to overthrow his faction.  Not that he’d be able to, anyway.  So then, why were they here?

“Danzo-sama has sent us to deliver a message to you directly,” Kakashi began, trying to clear up any misunderstanding.  He knew that if he were in Orochimaru’s position, he would be suspicious.  After all, Danzo had sent his best assassins for the sole purpose of delivering a simple message.  The whole situation just screamed _set up_.  “We have recently uncovered some information that we believe will benefit you.”

“For what purpose has Danzo-sama sent his top assassins?  Any subject would be sufficient at delivering a message,” Orochimaru countered, refusing to let down his guard.  Even if they were allies, they didn’t have complete trust in each other.  They were involved in a dirty business, after all.

“We are unsure of his reasoning, Orochimaru-sama,” Kurenai explained.  She had been just as puzzled about the mission as Orochimaru seemed to be, and she had nothing to lose by taking him out.  Her orders were to deliver a message, though, so that is what she did.  “Although, perhaps he felt that he was sending us as a show of good faith?  Until we return, he is short two assassins, which will interfere with incoming missions.  Although this mission should last no more than 2 days, we don’t know what could happen.  Besides, the information we come bearing might shed some light on why sending us was necessary.”

Orochimaru stared down at the beautiful woman that was kneeling before him.  He wondered what this information was that it would convince Danzo to inconvenience himself and send out his top assassins.  “Very well,” he said finally.  “What is this message that you have come to deliver to me?”

Kakashi cleared his throat before he began to speak again.  “One of our operatives recently reported to Danzo-sama that he spotted Namikaze Naruto returning to Konoha.  We are aware of his location and your hit on him, but we are unsure of how long he will be in Konoha”.

Orochimaru allowed himself to smile at this recent development.  “Ah, yes, the Namikaze boy.  We had recently run into a bit of an issue with finding him.  I greatly appreciate this insight, please do give Danzo-sama my gratitude.  If I may ask, where is he staying, exactly?”

“He is staying with Umino Iruka,” Kurenai responded.  “I trust that you are able to gather where to find him without our help.  Umino doesn’t necessarily lay low, he is a simple citizen.”

“Yes, yes, of course,” Orochimaru agreed.  “My people are surely capable of locating his residence.  I appreciate the information and your cooperation on such a matter,” he said in a form of dismissal.

“Very well,” Kakashi accepted their dismissal, ready to return to his bed so he could continue reading his favorite book.  He and Kurenai both stood and took their leave at the completion of their mission.

“Kimimaro,” Orochimaru addressed the man with long white hair.  “Please summon Karin, Suigetsu, and Jūgo.  I’ll take care of summoning Sasuke and we’ll reconvene whenever they all arrive.”

Kimimaro disappeared to fulfill his orders as Orochimaru took a deep breath in satisfaction.  Even after every obstacle that had gotten in his way, this mission would soon come to completion.  Evidently, the blond could run, but he could not hide.

 

☉☾

 

Sasuke was sitting on the couch, dressed in navy blue jeans and an indigo t-shirt as he read a book about the yakuza and Japanese legal system*.  When his phone started to ring, he decided not to answer.  He rolled his eyes as he turned the page.  He wasn’t in the mood for chit chat; whoever it was that wanted to talk to him could wait.

“I would answer that, if I were you,” his father suggested as he walked past Sasuke.  “It’s probably Orochimaru-sama, and you don’t want to keep him waiting.”  Fugaku was aware of the status of Sasuke’s unfinished mission, and it needed to be completed if Fugaku was going to have one of his sons take over the family business.  Itachi had already failed, meaning that Sasuke was his last hope.

Sasuke grumbled, but answered his phone anyway.  “This is Uchiha Sasuke.  Orochimaru-sama.  Immediately?  Yes, of course, Orochimaru-sama.”  Sasuke hung up the phone as his father watched him expectantly.  He didn’t answer Fugaku’s silent question as he stood and headed to his room to change clothes.

“Well?” Fugaku asked, raising an eyebrow.  He’d only heard half of the conversation and he couldn’t deny that he wanted to know what was going on.  His son was just as stubborn as he was, though, and he knew Sasuke wouldn't offer up any information without being prompted first.

“Orochimaru-sama has summoned me,” was all Sasuke said.  He knew that his father was curious, but he didn’t really want to involve him in this.  He wasn’t exactly pleased with Fugaku at the moment, so the man was lucky that his son was even speaking with him still.  He shut the door to his room so he could dress.

“Is that so?” Fugaku prompted further, calling to Sasuke from the other side of the door.  He wasn’t surprised that Sasuke was making this difficult, but he was getting tired of his son’s attitude.  Why couldn’t Sasuke see that he was doing this for him?

“Yep,” was all Sasuke said as he opened his bedroom door to leave.  He grabbed his father’s keys and his book off the coffee table as he made his way to the front door.  The sooner he got away from Fugaku and his prying questions, the better.

“You’re reading about the yakuza and Japanese law,” his father called out before Sasuke reached the door.  Sasuke paused at his father’s words.  He wasn’t hiding what he was reading, nor was he concerned that his father had noticed.  He waited for his father to continue.  “Any particular reason?”

“I figured if I’m going to be a part of this world, I need to know what challenges await me so I know how to deal with an issue if or when it arises.”  Fugaku remained silent for a moment, surprised.  Perhaps he had misjudged his son; it seemed as if he was taking this seriously.

Sasuke took his father’s silence as the opportunity he was looking for and headed out without another word.  Orochimaru said he’d obtained some information that would help Sasuke with his mission, and Sasuke wasn’t so sure that was a good thing.  

 

☉☾

 

“Sasssuke,” the snakelike man hissed upon Sasuke’s arrival.  Sasuke had determined that whatever Orochimaru had summoned him for probably wasn’t good.  He had a part to play, however, and he would make sure that he did what was expected of him.

“Orochimaru-sama,” he kneeled and bowed before the man who was technically his superior.  Every time he found himself in this position, or referred to the man in front of him as _Orochimaru-sama_ , he internally cringed on behalf of his Uchiha pride.  What the hell had gotten into his father when he agreed to serve this man?

“As you know, I have some information for you regarding your mission,” Orochimaru began, his eyes seemingly glowing in the candlelight.  “An ally of mine, Danzo-sama of the Konoha no Kage faction, has informed me that your target is staying with Umino Iruka in Konoha.”  Orochimaru paused, but Sasuke couldn’t think of a reason sufficient enough to validate a response, so he remained silent as he waited for the man to continue.  “I assume you know what to do?” he asked, finally.

“Yes, Orochimaru-sama,” Sasuke answered, careful not to step out of line and let his irritation show.  Sasuke had never asked for this and had only become aware of his father’s involvement in the yakuza recently.  He despised bowing and the use of honorifics as much as he’d come to despise the man in front of him.  He would not be labeled as a rogue yakuza member and have a hit put on his head, however, so he conceded.  He would figure out what to do about this mess later, but for now he couldn’t risk it and he knew that.

“Very well,” Orochimaru acknowledged.  “Since this mission’s conditions have changed so rapidly, I have assembled a team for you.  We will deal with introductions later, but first, I want to bestow upon you my mark.”  Sasuke held his breath at the gravity of the action.  If Orochimaru was marking him, did that mean…?  “Let it be known that you are not a full inductee yet, though.  You won’t have your induction ceremony until your mission is completed, but if you are completing a mission with a team, you must be marked.  It’s much less suspicious to other yakuza if you all have the mark than for one of you to remain unmarked.  I fully expect this mission to be completed, and if you fail to complete it...well, I think you know what will happen.  Isn’t that right, Sasuke?”

“Yes, Orochimaru-sama,” Sasuke kept his voice still as his anger flared inside him at the thought of Orochimaru putting a hit on him.  He wondered for a moment what slaughtering Orochimaru would mean for his mission to take out Naruto.  Unfortunately, he knew that was just wishful thinking.

“That’s what I thought,”  Orochimaru responded as a sly smile slithered across his face.  “Kimimaro, fetch Kabuto.  Tell him it is time to mark Uchiha Sasuke.”  The man hurried away to fulfill his duty as his long white hair fell gracefully behind him.  “This won’t take long, Sasuke,” Orochimaru promised.  “Just wait.  You’ll be all mine in no time.”  Sasuke suppressed a shudder as he watched the creepy man lick his lips.  Despite his revulsion to the idea of being marked, he knew there was nothing he could really do to stop it.

 

☉☾

 

Sasuke stared down at his now-bandaged left bicep.  Getting the tattoo hadn’t been as painful as he had assumed, but his arm was still a little sore.  Kabuto seemed delighted when he explained what Sasuke should expect over the next few weeks.  Sasuke decided he didn’t want to know why the man had seemed so giddy.

He didn’t know how to feel about the tattoo healing process taking so long, although his concept of time seemed a bit warped at the moment.  On one hand, he was entirely aware that his birthday had occurred less than a week earlier, despite an eternity's worth of events having transpired since then.  On the other, the month-long healing process meant that there was still quite a bit of time for him to pretend he hadn’t been marked by Orochimaru.  Although he hadn’t spoken out against it, Sasuke felt...violated.  He didn’t want to bear Orochimaru’s mark on himself and he planned on finding a way out of this mess as soon as possible.  The time wasn’t right though, so he had to endure whatever was demanded of him.

“Your team, Sasssuke,” Orochimaru hissed from his throne.  Three people entered the room, kneeling next to Sasuke as they awaited their instructions.  “Karin,” he summoned, causing the only girl of the group to rise and stand by Orochimaru’s side.  She had waist-length red hair, matching red eyes, and wore khaki shorts and a green tank top, making her look kind of like an archaeologist.  “She possesses the Rattlesnake Aikuchi**, which is laced with rattlesnake venom.  As an informant, she is particularly adept in tracking people down.”  At the conclusion of Orochimaru’s introduction, she returned to her spot next to Sasuke.

“Jūgo,” a muscular, red-headed man stood at the mention of his name and took his place next to Orochimaru.  He sported jeans and a black t-shirt, the epitome of normalcy, which was awkward considering the situation.  “Consider him your personal bodyguard…” Sasuke resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow.  Why did Orochimaru go out of his way to provide him with a _bodyguard_?  “...with the Cobra Wakizushi, laced with Egyptian cobra venom.  He’s very strong, so it’s likely he won’t need it, but it’s still a declaration of membership in this organization.  All my members have blades that have been laced with snake venom, no matter how small.”  Once Orochimaru had finished introducing Jūgo, he returned to his spot next to Karin.

“Suigetsu,” his smile grew as he said the name.  Sasuke assumed that he was particularly fond of this subordinate.  A thin man with shoulder-length white hair and vibrant violet eyes stood, taking his place next to Orochimaru.  He sported a grin, with one fanged tooth hanging out of the side of his mouth.  Unlike the others, this man was dressed in tight black lounge pants and a matching tank top.  To Sasuke, he looked like a jewel thief and emanated a laid-back attitude.  Sasuke was surprised to see someone like this in Orochimaru’s organization and wondered briefly what his role could possibly be in such an industry.  “Suigetsu is my top assassin.”  Sasuke felt like he’d just gotten whiplash as he tried to process the information.  This guy looked about as threatening a chihuahua.   _Top assassin_?  Either this guy was good, or Orochimaru was a joke.  Sasuke hoped that it was the latter, but he knew that probably wasn’t the case.  “He was gifted with the Viper Odachi, which contains the venom of a pit viper.  If, for some reason, you get ambushed, Suigetsu will be able to eliminate any threat, easily.”  Suigetsu snickered as he reclaimed his spot.

“You all have been briefed on the mission,” Orochimaru began once the introductions were finished.  “Your team name shall be Hebi.  When you return, I expect your assignment to be completed, and don’t think I won’t know if you lie to me.  Since we aren’t sure how much longer the information we received will remain relevant, I recommend starting immediately.  You are dismissed.”

 

☉☾

 

“I’ve already looked into where Umino Iruka lives,” Karin told Sasuke as she handed over the piece of paper with the address on it.  “We should be able to make it there by tonight.”  Karin had noticed almost immediately how attractive Sasuke was, but she knew better than to act on it.  There was a time for work and a time for play, and they had a mission they needed to complete.  She could always play later.

He read the address as Suigetsu aggressively navigated his black Dodge Viper through traffic.  When Sasuke first recognized the car, he’d pegged the man for a tool, but the way Suigetsu drove it so naturally led him to believe he may have misjudged the man.  The car was oddly becoming of the violet-eyed man and Sasuke couldn’t fault him for purchasing a car that matched his personality.

He sat next to Suigetsu- having refused to sit in the back of the sports car- with Jūgo directly behind him and Karin behind Suigetsu.  “This should be easy to find,” Sasuke informed his team.  “I used to live in Konoha, so I know the basic layout.  I’ll probably be able to take us straight to this guy’s house.”

“I figured as much,” Karin flipped her hair behind her shoulder.  “I found out you used to live in Konoha and thought you’d be able to navigate the area pretty well.  How much do you know about the target?”

Sasuke tensed, not wanting to answer the question, but also unsure of _how_ he would answer it.  How well _did_ he know Naruto?  He was pretty sure that he’d known him fairly well before they both moved to Tokyo.  That was along time ago, though.  Did he even know Naruto at all now?

Karin took his silence as an admission of not thoroughly researching his target’s current information, so she continued.  “His parents died 5 years ago, somehow prompting a rival oyabun, Jiraiya, to adopt him.  Since then he’s lived under Jiraiya’s roof.  There are no records of him since the adoption, though, so he’s difficult to track.”

Sasuke nodded quietly.  He’d known all that already, except for the lack of records.  He hadn’t been entirely sure on the adoption either, but he assumed as much.  For all he knew, Jiraiya had kidnapped Naruto and just raised him as his own.  Even now, he wasn’t sure that such a story wouldn’t convince him that’s _exactly_ what happened.  Naruto would have just gone along with it too, like the dobe he was.

“It’s almost sad,” Karin was still talking, even though Sasuke had heard all he needed to hear.  “This kid is probably being targeted because of his relationship with Jiraiya, which he can’t even really control.  Orochimaru-sama’s induction missions are never easy,” she sighed, shaking her head.  Sasuke found himself wondering what the others’ induction missions had been, but didn’t bother asking.  If it was important to him, he’d figure it out eventually.

“As far as strategy goes,” she continued, interrupting Sasuke’s thoughts, yet again.  “Due to the time sensitivity of the mission, we should probably just go for it right when we get there.”  She didn’t say anything to the others about how the sooner this mission was finished, the sooner she got to play, but she definitely acknowledged it.  Suigetsu snickered, causing Sasuke to look over at him as Karin smacked him on the back of the head.  “Shut it, punk!”  Suigetsu had this uncanny ability of being able to read _her_ specifically.  He never once let her get off easily, and she knew he wasn’t going to start now.

“Oh, is that the _only_ reason you want to finish so quickly?” Suigetsu teased from the front.  She rolled her eyes as she kicked the back of his seat, knowing it would drive the man insane.

“Yes, it is.  I always take my missions seriously, Suigetsu.”  She snuck a glance at Sasuke who had seemingly tuned them out and was staring out the window.  She almost let out a sigh of relief, but it would have been too obvious.

“Hey, don’t abuse my baby,” Suigetsu spat, in response to Karin’s rough treatment of the seat.  “And I’m not so sure about that, Karin.  Sasuke, make sure you keep an eye out for her, she can be quite the handful.”

Sasuke just stared at him blankly as he continued to drive.  He’d heard enough the conversation to understand what they were talking about, to an extent.  He couldn’t believe how lighthearted these people were.  He felt his pulse quicken at the impending completion of the mission he wished he’d never been assigned.  He was going to kill Naruto, whether he wanted to or not.

 

☉☾

 

“Umino’s gone to sleep,” Karin whispered in Sasuke’s ear, trying to seduce her teammate while still following through on her mission.  No one said she couldn’t work while laying the groundwork for playing.  Consider that loophole exploited.

“We should wait a bit,” Sasuke responded just as quietly, his heart thumping rapidly in his chest.  He was in no way ready for this, but he also didn’t have a choice.  He couldn’t exactly tell Naruto to run away while three people stood behind him, watching.  He ground his teeth together as he tried to will away the impending panic attack.  He could do this, he’d just have to utilize that infamous Uchiha apathy.  He took a deep breath as he mentally prepared himself.  All he had to do was stop feeling, how hard could it be?

“You’re right,” Jūgo agreed.  “If we approach too early, we risk waking Umino up and blowing the entire operation.”  Sasuke hadn’t really thought of that.  He knew that it would be troublesome if they woke Umino up, but he hadn’t thought about intentionally fucking up.  It was too late now though, he’d already suggested they wait.

“I don’t see why it matters,” Suigetsu suggested.  “Even if we did wake the dude up, we could take him out, no problem,” he smiled, pulling out his odachi, its edge glinting in the moonlight.

“Suigetsu,” Jūgo warned, “let’s try to keep the casualties to a minimum.  We are here for Sasuke’s target and nothing else.”  Sasuke got the feeling from the man’s words that Jūgo didn’t like unnecessary violence and he respected him for it.  Suigetsu on the other hand…

“Oh, come on, Jūgo, what’s a little blood spilt?  Lighten up and let me have some fun for once,” the white-haired miscreant snickered, his violet eyes gleaming with mischief.

“How long do you want to wait?” Karin asked Sasuke, ignoring the other two entirely.  She tried to make her voice sound inviting, but her efforts were lost on Sasuke, who was mentally preparing himself to become apathetic.

“Another hour should be fine,” he murmured, feeling his apprehension drain away.  This apathetic side of him came with a pretty hefty downside, but he was willing to risk it since it was the only way to secure his future.  Naruto would be dead by sunrise, and Sasuke refused to feel a thing.

 

☉☾

 

Naruto was wide awake when he heard the footsteps.  He knew that Iruka had gone to sleep an hour earlier, and these didn’t sound like his.  He had a pretty good feeling he _did_ know who they belonged to, though.

He hadn’t been able to sleep much since he returned to Konoha.  The idea of living in a stranger’s house and hiding from one of your best friends was enough to keep his mind active at all hours of the night.  Even in pure darkness, he found himself lying in bed with his eyes wide open, his thoughts persisting.

He sat up when he heard his door open, refusing to run away again.  He ran to Konoha, yet he was still found.  There was obviously no point in running and he needed to face this head on.  “Sasuke,” he greeted his rival before he could even make out his silhouette.  What he wasn’t expecting were the three other forms behind Sasuke.  “I see you brought friends.”

Sasuke refused to respond.  He was completely in control of his emotions now and he wouldn’t let Naruto break him.  He was here to kill Naruto and nothing else was acceptable.

“It’s okay, bastard, you don’t have to say anything.  Let me do all the talking, as usual.  I’m not running from you anymore.  If you’re going to kill me, then go ahead and get it over with.”  Naruto felt his resolve harden as he spoke the words aloud.  He had meant what he said.  If Sasuke didn’t kill him now, he would surely do it later, and Naruto was done waiting and living in fear.

Sasuke pulled out his katana slowly, drawing out the last moments he would spend with Naruto.  He might not feel anything now, but he would have to live with this for the rest of his life.  It was best that he bought as much time with the blond as he could, even if it was like this.

Naruto suddenly remembered the folding tanto that TenTen had entrusted him with and grabbed it off the nightstand.  Sasuke might be here to kill him, but that didn’t mean that he’d go down without a fight.  If Sasuke wanted to join the yakuza so badly, he was going to earn it the hard way.  He quickly flipped it open and threw it toward Sasuke’s form, making a clean cut across his cheekbone, underneath his right eye.

Sasuke let his eyes fall closed as he felt the blood drip down his cheek.  Even emotionally detached, he knew that the memory of this cut would always be something for him to remember Naruto by.  Naruto had made his intent clear, though, and he wouldn’t drag this out any longer.  Once his katana was fully unsheathed, he dashed toward the blond, thrusting his blade straight through Naruto’s chest in one sure strike.

The blond’s eyes went wide for a brief moment, before slowly closing as he fell forward onto Sasuke’s shoulder.  Upon completion of his mission, Sasuke pulled his katana from the inflicted wound, letting Naruto’s limp body fall to the floor.  He looked around the room before finally deciding to use the blankets on the bed to wipe the blood off his blade.

He heard movement in the other room and the team quickly scrambled to escape through the window, but not before Suigetsu unsheathed a tanto that he kept strapped to his thigh.  “I mark all my victims; differently, of course,” he explained.  “Even if this is yours, I was still involved.  Besides, I love his whiskers,” he added as he made 3 quick cuts along the marks on Naruto’s cheeks.  Once he was finished, he scurried out the window.

Sasuke would have stayed to declare the blond dead for himself, but time was of the essence with Umino now awake.  He didn’t need to confirm the death anyway, his katana was laced with black mamba venom, after all.  Even if Naruto managed to survive the stab wound, the venom would definitely kill him.

After the rest of the team had climbed through the window, Sasuke took one last look at the dead man to store the sight in his memory forever.  It was because of this notion that Sasuke noticed a piece of twine- worn as a necklace- resting on Naruto’s neck.  Impulsively, he reached down and removed it, admiring the quartz crystal dangling from it.

He pocketed the necklace hastily as he climbed through the window himself.  If his team noticed, he would just tell Orochimaru that it was a memento of his mission’s completion.  If not, he would keep it regardless.  It was a win-win, and he’d always have a memory of the man who had warmed his icy heart.

The team stuck to the shadows as they moved, never once looking back.

 

☉☾

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Other Notes  
> *So, I actually had a specific book in mind when I wrote this. For those of you that are curious:  
> [Yakuza Book](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/417Nuj4LGZL._SX336_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)
> 
> **A guide on the weapons mentioned:  
> [Weapon Guide](http://getasword.com/blog/125-japanese-sword-types-katana-tachi-wakizashi-nodachi/)
> 
> Coming Up  
> In the next chapter, Preemption, you'll see what's up with Naruto and how Sasuke's doing after the fact. 
> 
> Thanks for reading guys, and don't forget to tell me what you think!


	6. Preemption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsuande and Iruka try to fix things and Tsunade makes a plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been awhile, my apologies, my beta reader has been in basic, but since I received a request to update, I decided to go ahead and do just that. That said, this chapter, and probably the subsequent chapter, has not been beta'd. Nevertheless, I do hope you all enjoy it and don't forget to tell me what you think!

Iruka jolted awake at the sound of something hitting the wall.  He knew that he was hiding Naruto from some sort of danger, but he wasn’t sure what.  Tsunade had told him that it would be easier to keep him uninvolved that way. Of course, now he seemed to be pretty involved.

He threw the covers off of himself as he made his way to his dresser to pull out  a pair of black sleeping pants. He didn’t usually sleep in his underwear, but it was the end of July, and it had been quite hot out.  He had decided that he would be much more comfortable without the pants, but he also refused to let Naruto see him in just his boxers.

Looking around the room for something to use as a weapon, his eyes landed on a baseball bat.  He sighed, but grabbed it anyway since he didn’t have any other options. He opened his door and tried to move quietly down the hallway as he approached Naruto’s room.

When he made it to the room, he tried to be as discreet as possible as he turned the doorknob, knowing it would all be over if he made enough noise.  He let out a sigh of relief when he managed to push the door open and not get attacked.

That sigh got caught in his throat halfway through though, because he was greeted with the image of Naruto lying on the floor, a stab wound in his chest, as he bled out onto the carpet.  “Naruto,” Iruka whispered to himself panicked as he made his way over to the blond. Immediately finding Naruto’s pulse to confirm that he was still alive, he ran to his room to retrieve his cellphone and call Tsunade.

“I take it you’re not just calling to say hello at 1am.  What happened?” She greeted Iruka when she picked up the phone.  She obviously knew this couldn’t be good, so she tried to cut to the chase.

Iruka was nervous about telling Tsunade what happened, but he knew that she was Naruto’s only hope, so he persisted.  “Naruto’s been...stabbed...in the chest,” he admitted, upset with himself for being so careless.

Tsunade knew she’d have to act immediately if Naruto had any hope of survival.  “Meet me at the hospital ASAP. I’ll have an operating room ready when you get here.  We need to take care of this immediately. Wrap his wound to the best of your abilities to try to impede the bleeding until you get here.”  She hung up the phone upon Iruka’s agreement to follow her instructions and immediately got to work on prepping an OR. She knew it was going to be a long night.

Iruka only allowed himself a single moment to look at his phone, baffled.  He had more important matters to attend to. He quickly grabbed the blanket off Naruto’s bed to cover the wound as well as he could.  It wasn’t until he was carrying the young blond to his car that he noticed the quartz necklace was missing from Naruto’s neck.

 

☉☾

 

_“I’ve gotta take a piss,” Naruto told them, heading off to the bathroom. Tsunade knew he needed time to process things, so she didn’t say anything.  She never would have handed Naruto over to someone with ill intentions and he just needed to understand that._

_“Iruka,” she addressed her friend, her tone serious.  “If anything happens, anything at all, call me immediately.  I don’t care how small it is, or what time it is. My phone will be turned up all the way, so even if I’m sleeping, you can still reach me.”_

_Iruka looked at the blonde woman in front of him carefully.  “Tsunade, what exactly is going on? You’re treating whatever it is pretty seriously.”_

_Tsunade looked out the window wistfully.  “I thought I’d left it all behind,” she mumbled as she absent-mindedly played with the crystal on her necklace that she always wore, but kept hidden.  “Idiots,” she sighed, shaking her head in disappointment._

_Iruka noticed her strange behavior and the necklace that he’d never seen before.  “When did you get that?” he asked, pointing at the crystal._

_She laughed before replying.  “I bought it as a good luck charm when I ran away.”  She had told Iruka that she ran away from her home in Tokyo when she was ten.  What she didn’t tell him is what she had been running from._

_Her parents had been dead as long as she could remember, and she was raised by her grandfather, Senju Hashirama.  Hashirama was the oyabun of Tokyo no Kage, and although she was uncomfortable with her grandfather’s business, he had been very loving.  In return, she loved him dearly, so she chose to turn a blind eye to his dealings._

_Until she found out he was dying.  She was terrified of what would happen to her.  Best-case scenario, her grandfather would appoint someone she could trust as the oyabun and adopt Tsunade as their own.  Worst-case, her great uncle and Hashirama’s brother- Senju Tobirama- was the oyabun of Oto no Kage, and his heart was nothing compared to his brother's._

_Tsunade was terrified at the prospect of being forced to live with Tobirama and among his yakuza faction.  She decided that it was best not to take any chances, so she fled, with only the clothes on her back and the money she had saved up over the past decade._

_During her trip to Konoha, she stopped by a metaphysical shop, curious about their selection. She came across a strand of twine with a quartz crystal on that was supposed to have protective properties.  Assuming that she’d need all the protection she could get, she bought it. She hadn’t taken it off since that day._

_Upon her arrival in Konoha, she was lucky enough to be adopted by the head nurse at Konoha’s hospital, Shizune.  Shizune taught her about medicine until she was old enough to take classes for it herself. Now she not only was the head of the hospital, but also owned her own medical supply company as well._

_Snapping herself back to reality, Tsunade pulled the necklace off and handed it to Iruka.  “Here, give this to Naruto, but wait until later. Tell him it’s a good luck charm. I hope it works as well for him as it has for me.”_

_Iruka simply took the item and put it in his pocket.  “I will. Is there anything I need to know about, specifically.  I understand you won’t give me too many details…”_

_“It’s in everyone’s best interest if you don’t know.  Even then, you might be in danger. Are you sure about this?”_

_Iruka could read the distress in her eyes and nodded.  “Of course. How could I object to protecting an innocent kid?” he laughed, trying to lighten the mood._

_“I guess you’re right,” she agreed, finding herself laughing as well._

_Naruto chose that moment to return from the bathroom and Tsunade knew it was all in Iruka’s hands now.  She hoped that Naruto’s stay would be uneventful, but nothing was certain. “Alright,” Naruto sighed as he approached them.  “I’m ready now.” Iruka placed a hand on Naruto’s shoulder protectively as Tsunade watched them leave._

 

☉☾

 

“Iruka!”  Tsunade rushed to the man’s side to help him support an unconscious Naruto.  “Shizune is already in the OR, waiting for us. Once we set him down, we can check his vitals and get to work immediately.”

Iruka watched as the surprisingly strong woman managed to support the weight of a full-grown, and fairly well-built, young man.  He wasn’t sure how she planned out the execution of the surgery, given her discomfort at the mere sight of blood. He decided to keep it to himself that some of Naruto’s blood had made it onto the woman’s scrubs.  “So, who is going to be performing the surgery?”

Tsunade kept her eyes trained forward as she moved the blond as quickly as she could.  Time was of the essence and she wasn’t going to regret a second of this incident. “Me.  I’ll be in charge of the surgery and Shizune will assist me. This is too important for me to delegate to someone else.”  She knew she was going to have to strengthen her resolve against her distaste for blood. All she had to do was not think about it; how hard could it be?

As they entered the room, Shizune stood to help.  Her shoulder-length black hair was pulled into a ponytail, indicating that they would commence the surgical procedure immediately.  Together, the three of them gently placed Naruto on the operating table. Shizune began hooking him up to the machines as Tsunade found his pulse.

Iruka watched as she breathed a sigh of relief before she attempted to remove the blanket from Naruto’s torso.  So he was still alive. Iruka found himself just a relieved as she had been. “Damn, Iruka,” she interrupted his thoughts.  “I said _wrap the wound_ , not wad up a blanket and throw it on top of him.”  She shook her head before continuing. “However, your odd method seems to have worked; he’s still alive.”

Iruka nodded since he’d already figured that out for himself.  “For now though,” she began again after he acknowledged her statement, “I need you to wait in the waiting room.  Let Shizune and I handle it from here.”

Iruka did as he was told, not wanting to stall the operation any longer.  He knew that if Naruto had any hope of survival, they needed to tend to him quickly.  The blond seemed to have a strong will to live; he just hoped it didn’t falter.

 

☉☾

 

Tsunade emerged an hour later, her scrubs splattered with blood and her bangs sticking to the sweat on her face.  She quickly found Iruka and plopped down in the chair next to him, exhausted. “We did it,” she said quietly. “He’s resting now.”

Iruka gave the woman a once over, concerned about her current mental state.  “Um, Tsunade, you know you’re covered in-”

“Don’t,” she interrupted him.  “Just don’t. As long as I don’t think about it, I can ignore it.  Just let me have this.” Iruka wasn’t going to argue with her, so they sat in silence for a moment.  Right now, they were both just happy that the blond was still alive.

“Are you going to tell me what happened?”  Iruka broke the silence by asking the question that had been on his mind for some time.  “What’s been going on with Naruto and why he needed to be hidden?”

Biting her nail nervously, Tsunade thought about how she was going to tell Iruka what he wanted to know.  “Fine,” she agreed, but not here.” She motioned to her office, knowing that this conversation needed to be held in private.  Iruka understood and followed her. When they were alone, she closed the door him.

“Naruto’s parents were killed 5 years ago.  I’m sure you heard about it, it was all over the news.  He was legally adopted by his godfather, the same man who had watched over his father when he was younger, and one of my closest friends, Jiraiya.  When we were younger, Jiraiya joined Tokyo no Kage when he was offered to run its prostitution ring. When the oyabun retired, he appointed Jiraiya to oyabun, and that has been Jiraiya’s life ever since.  When he adopted Naruto, he took special precautions, but Naruto has been living amongst the yakuza for the past 5 years, and some have taken notice. In particular, our old friend, Orochimaru, is the oyabun of Oto no Kage and he ordered one of his prospects to assassinate Naruto due to his close relationship with Jiraiya.  The man he put in charge of Naruto’s assassination is one of Naruto’s oldest friends, Uchiha Sasuke.”

Iruka’s eyes widened in surprise at the proclamation.  He had no idea that the Uchiha’s were involved with the yakuza, but given Fugaku’s success, he shouldn’t have been surprised.  When it came to successful businesses in Japan, you couldn’t stay off the yakuza’s radar for very long. Iruka closed his eyes as he rested his head against the wall.  “So Naruto’s friend is the one who put that hole in his chest?”

Tsunade understood Iruka’s frustration.  The Uchiha’s were _from_ Konoha after all, in fact, most of the family still remained there.  Only the head family had moved away for business purposes. Now it’s youngest member was trying to lay waste to his friend.  It was a twisted situation, but at least Naruto had survived. Maybe now the hit would be called off and Naruto could live his life in peace.  “If I had to guess, then yes, I would say that Sasuke is responsible. Luckily for us, he missed Naruto’s heart, lungs, spine, and ribs. Maybe that charm is good luck after all.”

Iruka winced at the mention of the quartz crystal that had been stolen from Naruto’s neck.  “Too bad it’s gone now. I’m not sure what happened, but after what you just told me, I would guess that Sasuke took it.”

“Probably,” Tsunade agreed.  “I noticed that it was missing.  That’s fine though. At least we know who has it.  Besides, it served its purpose. If Naruto really wants it back, Jiraiya would dispatch the sand siblings to retrieve it.  From what I understand, those three are ruthless; I don’t think even Jiraiya would be able to ensure Sasuke’s survival in that instance.  His organization takes Naruto’s safety seriously.”

“So, now what?” Iruka asked, unsure of what his role in the situation even was anymore.

“That’s up to Naruto,” Tsunade admitted.  “When he wakes up, I’ll talk to him, we have a lot to discuss anyway.  But it’s up to him if he wants to return to Tokyo or stay here, if you’re willing.”  Iruka nodded in consent, more than willing to house Naruto longer. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.  He seems to light up everyone’s life.”

Iruka looked down at his feet, still surprised that anyone would ever want to kill the boy.  “Not _everyone_ ,” he suggested, knowing Tsunade would read between the lines.  Obviously Sasuke hadn't been swayed.

Smiling, her eyes held a gleam as she spoke again.  “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” She was actually looking forward to her conversation with Naruto, curious about the path he would choose to pursue.

 

☉☾

 

Naruto grunted as he opened his eyes.  Trying to remember what had happened, he racked his brain for information.  The light was bright and he was still groggy, making it difficult to think clearly.  “What happened?” he groaned aloud.

Glad that the boy had finally awoken, Tsunade allowed herself to smile.  “You had quite the rough night. And here I thought Jiraiya would have explained the dangers of rough sex,” she joked.

The blond boy snickered as he sat up in the hospital bed he lay on.  “I wish it was just sex. I remember seeing Sasuke, but I’m still too tired to remember much more.”  He knew the memories would return to him eventually, he was just too mentally exhausted to put that kind of strain on his mind.

“How can you be so sure?”  Naruto stared at her blankly, knowing what she suggested was impossible.  Although Naruto was bisexual, he was positive that Sasuke was asexual. For that very reason, Naruto had never contemplated a sexual relationship with his rival.  Now that Tsunade had planted the seeds though…

Shutting his eyes tightly, he shook his head, trying to will all sexual thoughts of Sasuke from his mind.  This wasn’t the time for that, and thinking about it would just frustrate him more. He knew it would turn out to be nothing more than a fantasy.

Tsunade watched the blond’s silent struggle contemplatively.  Amused, she smirked, enjoying the moment. She then took a deep breath, deciding it was time to get serious.  “I’m not sure how he tracked you down, but he did. He stabbed you in the chest. It was through pure dumb luck that he managed to miss all your vital areas.  Consider yourself lucky, kid.”

Naruto’s hand when up to his bandaged chest.  He felt the memories flooding back to him, a vision of cold, distant eyes appearing before him.  “So...he did it, huh? He actually…” Naruto couldn’t bring himself to finish his thought. Sasuke was his _friend_.  Even after everything, he didn’t think that Sasuke could actually _kill_ him.  But he wasn’t dead.  “Where do I go now?” he asked quietly, his spirit broken for the time being.

“Wherever you want, kiddo.  You won’t have to worry about him anymore.”  Tsunade turned to look out the window, watching as the sun began to slowly rise.  What a night it had been, but she was glad it was finally over.

Confused, Naruto raised his eyebrows at the woman.  “But I’m not...dead? Won’t he come after me again? Until he succeeds?”

Smirking, she turned around to face him.  He had no idea how loved he was by everyone around him, and she felt it tug at her heartstrings.  “That’s not likely. All of Orochimaru’s men are equipped with blades that are laced with snake venom.  Even if they weren’t sure that the wound killed you, they would be sure the venom did.”

Naruto blinked.  _Snake venom?_  Wasn’t that stuff _deadly_?  He tried waiting for her to explain more, but when the explanation never came, he decided to prompt her to continue.  “And it didn’t because…”

The doctor rolled her eyes.  _Of course_ he wanted an explanation.  He never had been one for just accepting the luck that came his way.  “...Because, since Jiraiya adopted you, he’s had me focused on building up an immunity to snake venom in your body.  All those shots I gave you during your checkups? That was part of it.”

Naruto was dumbfounded.  Jiraiya had thought _that_ far ahead?  He really had gone all out on Naruto’s protection.  It was actually...kind of sweet. “Naruto?” Tsunade interrupted his thoughts.  He looked up at her in recognition, but didn’t say anything. He was still a little stunned at the thoughtful gesture.  “Where do you want to go from here?”

“I don’t know,” he shook his head as he sighed.  He had thought he was safe here in Konoha, but then Sasuke found him anyway.  What if he somehow learned Naruto was still alive and came after him again? “Am I really safe anywhere?”

“About that,” Tsunade grimaced slightly, remembering what her intern had told her.  “I have an intern, Haruno Sakura, who is my eyes and ears into Danzo’s faction, Konoha no Kage.  As it turns out, one of his men spotted you when you first arrived, and Danzo informed Orochimaru.  We’ll be much more careful this time, if you choose to leave. The choice is all yours,” she emphasized, implying that Naruto was still more than welcome at Iruka’s.

Naruto thought for a moment, his hand mindlessly drifting to the crystal around his neck, except it wasn’t there.  He panicked, his eyes wide, as he scrambled to find the missing piece of jewelry. “It’s gone, kid,” Tsunade laughed.  “When Iruka found you, it had already been stolen. You’re boyfriend probably has it,” she snickered, causing Naruto to roll his eyes.  If it was gone, there was nothing he could do about it now, so he decided to focus his attention on something he _could_ control: his living arrangement.

As much as he loved Konoha, his original home, he had a new home now.  This place was now burdened with painful memories such as his parents’ death, his now-lost friendship with Sasuke, and his last encounter with the raven.  “I want to go home,” he said quietly. “Tell Iruka thanks, and I’ll miss him, but I miss home too.”

Rolling her eyes, Tsunade pulled out her phone.  “Tell him yourself. He’s been in the waiting room all night, wanting to make sure you were okay.  I’ll let him in. I need to call Jiraiya anyway.” Naruto watched her leave, surprised that he had meant so much to a total stranger like Iruka.  He considered himself lucky to have such caring people in his life.

 

☉☾

 

“How are we going to do this, Baa-chan?” Naruto asked Tsunade as she tossed him some clothes to put on.  Naruto had just received clearance to leave the hospital, and he was excited to wear regular clothes again.

The clothes Tsunade had tossed him were casual enough that most people wouldn’t look twice at him.  A pair of blue jeans and a black (not orange, like the idiot would have wanted) hoodie. It would help him blend in with his surroundings, but Tsunade still wasn’t taking any chances.  “First, you put that on and don’t complain. Then I’ll escort you to my car, which is in the parking garage. I’ll drive you to Tokyo myself, pull in Jiraiya’s garage, and you’ll be home free.  Sound simple enough?” Naruto nodded. “Good, now hurry up and get dressed. When you get that hoodie on, make sure to pull the hood over your head.” Tsunade knew that no one would be watching for Naruto, so some of the pressure was off.  She’d still taken every precaution she could, even driving Naruto to Tokyo in the middle of the night. The brat had better thank her for this.

Naruto looked at her quizzically.  “Are you sure about this? What if they find me? What will happen to you?”  Leave it to Naruto to think about everyone but himself. This was exactly why he’d almost gotten himself killed.

“Don’t worry about me, kid, I made a pretty thorough plan.  Besides, how many times do I have to tell you that they _aren’t_ looking for you anymore?”

Naruto ignored her question as he finished dressing.  He even made sure to pull the hood over his head like she asked.  “Alright, alright,” he admitted defeat. “Let’s get going then.”

“Sure thing, kiddo,” she smiled at him.  She was going to miss this kid. “I’ll have you home in no time!”

 

☉☾

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming Up  
> In the next chapter, The Best Defense, Naruto returns home and you'll get to find out what Sasuke's up to.
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and I appreciate all your feedback!


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